Meet The Uplands
by Love That Wicked
Summary: Sequel to Morrible Rising. The girls face more trials and tribulations. Will their relationships survive?
1. Chapter 1

1If you could look past the gaping hole in the front of Breena's house, it was a truly beautiful day in Munchkinland. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky, the birds were singing and Elphaba was showing off more than a little of that gorgeous green flesh by sporting a tank top.

Glinda still couldn't decide if she should be thanking Breena for talking her sister into wearing the less constrictive top or cursing her because it was turning out to be such a distraction. She couldn't concentrate on what Addena was saying for staring at Elphie.

Her breath caught in her throat as her lanky lover gestured with her hands, obviously trying to get a point across to Fiyero. There was something so mesmerizing about the way she moved. It made Glinda want to go shove the former scarecrow out of the way so she could put herself into those lithe arms. It also made her realize just how much she didn't like being stuck on a blanket on the lawn while he was at Elphie's side. She could help with the repairs just as well as anyone else.

"Linny."

"Huh?" Her sister's voice barely registered.

"You're drooling again." Addena waited for an indignant response at the prospect of such a thing but none came. "I'm sure Betak has something in the house you could use as a bib." She looked at her expectantly. "Oh for the love of…" She reached over and closed her sister's mouth.

That got Glinda's attention. "What are you doing?!"

"You were catching flies."

"Catching flies?" Glinda frowned. "What are you…" Her voice trailed off as she wrinkled her brow. "I was off in lala land again wasn't I?"

Addena nodded. "More like Elphaba land."

"Sorry. It's just… how can you not stare at Breena? Not that I was looking at Breena." She was quick to clarify. "I'm staring at Elphie, but Breena is wearing the same type of top and…"

"Calm down, Linny. I knew what you meant. And trust me, I am watching Bree. But I can carry on a conversation and look at my girlfriend at the same time. You, on the other hand, aren't just watching Elphaba. You're sitting there getting all hot and bothered because Fiyero is over there with her."

"I am not."

There was the indignation Addena was looking for earlier. "Yes you are but I can't for the life of me understand why. It's not like you have anything to be jealous of."

"Jealous? I'm not jealous."

"Linny."

"What? I'm not." Glinda squirmed under her sister's 'don't lie to me' look. "OK, maybe a little." She swallowed hard when her sister continued to stare at her. "Fine. I am. Are you happy now?"

"Of course not. But at least you admitted it."

"Can you blame me? Just look at him." She gestured toward the house. "Does he have to stand that close? And why does he keep touching her? There shouldn't be any touching going on. What does he know about house repairs anyway? He's a prince for crying out loud. Princes don't know anything about anything!" She pointed at her sister when she opened her mouth. "And don't you dare tell me to take it easy because we both know you'd be the same way if he was being all buddy buddy with Breena."

"He _is_ buddy buddy with Bree. They're friends Linny." Addena half chuckled. "And you should know Elphaba would never even dream of being with anyone but you."

"It's not her I'm worried about." Glinda huffed.

Addena grinned. "You're so cute when you pout."

"Stop being mean or I'll kick you off the blanket."

"Go ahead. I'll just go get my own."

Glinda finally grinned. "I've missed this."

"Being told not to be jealous?"

"No, us being together."

"I've missed it too." Addena shook her head. "I can't understand what happened to us. We used to be so close."

"We still are. We just grew up. You went off to become a doctor and I ended up as Glinda the Good."

"That's not an excuse."

"You're right." Glinda nodded. "It's not."

"Then let's never let it happen again."

"I don't think that will be a problem considering we're in love with sisters who are practically joined at the hip."

"Actually we're joined by our magic but that's just semantics."

They both jumped when they heard Breena's voice.

She smirked at their reaction. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Sure you didn't." Addena quirked an eyebrow as she looked up at her. "What have you got there?"

"You mean this?" Breena dramatically flourished the tray she was balancing on one hand as she squatted in the small space between the blondes. "Lemonades to go around."

"How sweet." Glinda smiled as she and Addena both took one of the proffered glasses.

"Thank Betak." Breena returned her smile. "She said she didn't see any point in the two of you getting parched just because you insist on sitting out here ogling me and Elly."

"Ogling?" Addena frowned. "I'm not ogling anyone."

"Riiight." Breena's voice dripped with sarcasm. "You haven't taken your eyes off of me since we came out here."

"Maybe I wasn't looking at you. Maybe I was watching Lion."

"Lion, huh?"

Addena shrugged. "It's not my fault if you just so happen to be working in the same area as him."

Breena nodded before pursing her lips. "Are you sure you don't want to reconsider what you're saying?"

"Why would I?"

"You do know who you're messing with right?"

Addena's eyes shone with mischief. "Hit me with your best shot."

"OK, but just remember that you asked for it." Breena looked toward the house. "Hey Lion!"

The oversized feline looked up from the board he was measuring when he heard his name. "Yeah?"

"Addy thinks you have a nice butt."

Lion's mouth fell open. "What?"

Addena gripped Breena's leg. "What are you doing?"

Breena ignored her, hoping Lion would catch on to what she was doing when she covertly winked at him. "She's been staring at it all day."

"She... I..." Lion's cheeks were so red they were almost purple. "Why would she do that?"

Fiyero stepped forward but Elphaba, who caught her sister's signal, grabbed his arm, shaking her head when he shot her a look.

Breena made sure Addy wasn't looking at her before winking again. "I think she likes you."

You could almost see the light bulb appear over Lion's head as Breena rolled her eyes toward Addena. "Oh." He practically squirmed at the chance to play along in one of the witch's games. "Well, uh... That's just too bad."

Addena started to say something to Breena but returned her attention to Lion instead. "What?"

"Sorry." Lion shrugged. "You're just not hairy enough for me."

Everyone except Addena laughed, making Lion puff his chest out with pride.

Addena frowned at a giggling Glinda as she crossed her arms over her chest. "None of you are funny."

Lion smiled. "Yes we are."

"No," Addena growled. "You're not."

"Oh come on." Breena tried to reason with her. "You have to admit it was a little funny."

"No it wasn't."

"Sure it was."

"No it..."

"Not even a teeny weeny little bit?" Breena interrupted her, holding her thumb and pointer finger a hair's breadth apart. She raised her eyebrows when she didn't get a response. "I tried to warn you." She sighed when she continued to get the cold shoulder. "You should expect this kind of thing by now. It's part of the reason you fell for me."

Addena cocked her head. "Who says I fell for you?"

"This does." Breena closed the gap between them, somehow keeping the tray steady on her hand as they kissed.

Addena wrinkled her nose as they parted. "I don't know. That was kind of..."

"I'm not done yet. Here." Breena shoved the tray at Glinda. "Hold this for a second."

Glinda was more than happy to comply as she watched Breena pull Dena into her arms, drawing her into a steamy liplock. She shared a smile with Elphaba when she realized she was watching too.

"Don't worry about us." Fiyero called out. "We're only trying to fix your house over here."

"Trying being the operative word where you're concerned." Breena retaliated as she and Addena parted. She touched her forehead to the blonde's. "Did that spark your memory?"

"Yes." Addena caressed one of her cheeks. "But I might need another refresher course later."

"Bring an apple for the teacher and I'll see what I can do for you." Breena winked at Glinda as she took the tray back. "Thanks."

Glinda giggled. "Any time."

"Well look who finally decided to rejoin us." Fiyero razed her again as she stood and started toward them.

"Watch it or you won't get any lemonade." Breena warned him.

"Oh," Fiyero gestured with his hands. "I'm so scared."

"You should be." Elphaba took one of the glasses. "Betak's lemonade is legendary."

Breena held the tray out toward Fiyero. "That's because her secret ingredient is Quadling whisky."

Fiyero looked surprised. "Really?"

"No." Breena dead panned, making Elphaba chuckle.

Glinda watched her sister as she tracked Breena across the lawn with her eyes. "Do you have any idea how adorable you two are together?"

"Probably about as adorable as you and Elphaba."

"Not quite but you definitely run a close second." Glinda grinned. "It's great to see you so happy, Dena."

"She's amazing." Addena's tone didn't match the look in her eye as she continued to watch the woman she loved.

"All right." Glinda put her glass down and turned toward her. "Out with it."

"Out with what?"

"Whatever it is that's bothering you."

Addena furrowed her brow. "Nothing is..."

"Don't even try it." Glinda interrupted her. "I know you, Dena. And you know me. So you might as well just tell me before I annoy you to death trying to find out what it is."

"I appreciate your concern Linny, but nothing is bothering me."

"Dena."

"Really."

"Dena."

"I'm serious."

"Dena."

"Linny."

"Dena."

Addena raised her eyebrows. "Linny."

Glinda mirrored the gesture. "Dena."

"Linny." Her voice was a barely concealed threat.

"Dena."

"Just drop it."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Glinda made a show of smoothing out her skirt.

"Linny."

"Dena." She sing songed. "I can keep this up all day you know."

Addena sighed. "Linny!"

"Dena!"

"We haven't had sex yet!" Addena clapped her hand over mouth when she realized how loud her revelation was.

"Ha!" Glinda pointed. "I knew I could… Wait a minute. Did you say what I think you said?" The expression on her sister's face said it all. "Wow."

"No. There's no wow." Addena shook her head. "Just forget I said anything."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way." Glinda put a calming hand on her sister's leg. "That's just not something you hear everyday."

"You shouldn't have heard it today either."

"But I did."

"Pretend that you didn't."

"Dena."

Addena gestured with her glass. "I'm going to get a refill."

Glinda sighed as her sister got up. "Dena, wait." She scrambled to catch her. "Hey." She gripped her arm.

"I really don't want to talk about this Linny. It's between Bree and I."

"I understand that, but it's pretty obvious you're upset. I mean, I know I've made an art form of annoying you but you normally don't blurt things out like that." She waited for a reply but none came. "Just talk to me, Dena. It will make you feel better to get it off your chest. And I promise it won't go any further than us."

"I know." Addena rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I'm making such a mountain out of a mole hill."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

"All right. Let's walk and talk." She waited until her little sister looped their arms together to start moving again. "I love her Linny. She's everything I've ever wanted."

"But?"

"That's just it, there is no but. I wouldn't change a single thing about her. We just haven't… you know. I think everyone assumes we have because we're sharing a bed, but we haven't."

"I know I did." Glinda nodded.

"And it's not like we're lacking anything by not doing it. We kiss and cuddle and get all moony eyed just like other couples."

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's not so much of a problem as a dilemma." Addena sighed. "We both agreed we want our first time to be something extra special and we've only been together a couple of weeks, but what if she's waiting for me to make the first move and I'm waiting for her to make the first move and neither one of us ever makes it?" She frowned when she saw the expression on her sister's face. "I'm being stupid aren't I?"

"No." Glinda quickly assured her. "I just think it's so sweet that you want it to be special."

"Linny."

"I'm serious Dena."

"So am I." Addena sighed again. "Seriously stupid."

"You're not stupid." Glinda gave her arm a squeeze. "I think you should talk to her about it."

"What?!"

Glinda nodded. "Get it out there in the open."

"I don't want her to think I'm pressuring her."

"She won't."

Addena's frown deepened. "How do you know?"

"Because it's Breena we're talking about. She loves you just as much as you love her. And you might think you're good at keeping your feelings to yourself, but you're not. Especially when it comes to someone who really knows you. Would you rather be honest with her or have her pick up on the fact that something is bothering you and confront you about it?"

"I never thought of it that way."

"That's why a fresh perspective helps."

Addena mulled it over. "So you really think I should talk to her?"

Glinda nodded again. "I do."

"Then I will." She looked toward the house and scowled. "Just as soon as I find out who that is touching her."

"What are you…" Glinda's voice trailed off when she saw a strange woman was indeed standing with her hand on Breena's shoulder, who seemed to be having some kind of conversation with Elphie, Lion and Fiyero. "Who's that?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Addena snapped.

"Hey." Glinda drug her feet to slow her sister down as she stomped across the yard. "Now who's being jealous?"

Neither one of them said another word as they continued toward the house.

"Hold still Lion." Elphaba chastised him.

The cat squirmed. "But it tickles."

"You're going to think it tickles if you don't let Breena finish." Fiyero scolded him too.

"What happened?" Glinda dragged her sister with her as she went to stand by Elphaba.

"Mr. Fix It here decided to try to saw his paw instead of the board." Breena answered. "But we're taking care of it, aren't we big guy?"

Lion nodded.

"Bree?" Addena instantly went into doctor mode.

"It's not a big deal." Breena assured her. "He barely cut his pad." She let go of his paw. "And now it's good as new."

"Thanks." Lion smiled.

"That was amazing."

"I try." Breena glanced over her shoulder, doing a double take when she realized she didn't know the woman behind her. "Who are you?"

Addena growled, "And why are you touching her?"

"Yeah." Breena pulled away from the woman and went to Addena's side in one fluid motion. "Why were you touching me?"

"Sorry." The woman held up both of her hands. "I realized what you were doing and wanted to get a better view."

Fiyero frowned. "How did you know what she was doing?"

"I..."

"Maybe you should start out by telling us who you are." Elphaba interrupted her.

"OK. I'm..."

"And why you're here." Glinda added.

"Would you like my height, weight and date of birth too?" The woman quipped.

Addena frowned at her. "Now really isn't the time to be a smart ass."

"Easy there tiger." Breena gripped her love's hand, pulling her close.

"I know it might seem like we're being paranoid, but we've been through a lot lately." Glinda explained.

Lion pointed at her with his now healed paw. "Yeah. So don't make Elphaba and Breena get all magical on you."

Fiyero smacked him on the arm. "Don't tell her they can do magic!"

"Oh!" Lion growled at himself.

The woman grinned. "I already know who they are."

"Did the house need silent repairs because I thought fixing a hole that size would mean making some noise." Betak came bustling out the front door, frowning when she saw the newcomer. "Who is that?"

Breena shrugged. "She hasn't told us yet."

"I haven't really had a chance." The woman pointed out.

"What did I tell you?" Addena would have taken a step toward her but Breena held her in place.

"Maeve?" Yackle's face was a mask of disbelief as she came up behind Betak. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"You're a hard woman to find Auntie Yackle."

"Auntie?" Lion gasped. "Are you two related?"

"Yes we are." The woman turned her attention to Elphaba and Breena. "The name's Maeve and I'm here to take her place," she tipped her head toward Yackle before smiling brightly. "I'm your new magical advisor."


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N I completely forgot to include a disclaimer on my first chapter. Sadly I do not, in any way shape or form, own Wicked. It's all Mr. Maguire's. Thanks to all who reviewed the first part! It was like a buffet for my muse. :)_

"New magical advisor?" Fiyero frowned. "They just got her." He gestured toward Yackle with his thumb.

Lion nodded. "Why would they need a new advisor unless…" His eyes got big as he looked at Yackle. "Are you dying?"

"No." Betak waved away his question.

"Yes." Yackle nodded grimly.

Betak and Lion said, "You are?" at the same time.

She continued to nod. "We all are."

"We are?!" Lion looked horrified.

"No." Betak tried to reassure him.

"Yes." Yackle contradicted her.

"But I'm too young to die!" Tears swam in his eyes as he looked around at his friends beseechingly. "You won't let me die will ya?"

"No one's dying." Betak walked over to him.

"Oh yes we are." Yackle's tone was matter of fact. "From the moment we draw our first breath we start dying. Even you can't deny that."

"I can if it gets him to stop shaking." Betak rubbed gentle circles on the huge cat's back.

"Death isn't anything to be afraid of. It's a natural part of life."

Fiyero gave her a look when Lion whimpered. "Enough already."

"This isn't my fault." Yackle nodded toward the newcomer. "It's hers."

"Mine?" Maeve frowned.

"Yours." The old woman reaffirmed. "You can't just show up somewhere and start telling people you're there to take someone else's place without expecting that person to get upset. And when I get upset I tend to upset other people. This time it was the poor pussy cat." She gave Lion a sympathetic look.

"I..."

She raised a gnarled hand to silence the woman. "You've done quite enough. It's time for you to go."

Maeve's frown deepened. "Go?"

"As in run along." Yackle made a shooing motion. "You're not welcome here."

Betak glared at her. "What do you think you're doing?"

Yackle looked around before pointing at herself. "Are you talking to me?"

"Who else would I be talking to? First you scare Lion and then you tell that poor girl to leave without so much as a blink of your eye."

"And?"

"And you know how high strung he is!" Betak snapped. "He's going to have nightmares for a week!"

"Didn't I just explain that I didn't mean to..."

"And you have no right telling anyone to leave!" Betak was on a roll and didn't seem to hear her. "This isn't your house! If Breena wants someone to leave she can tell them herself!"

"Lion has forgiven people for far more than a little scare. And sending her away is what's best for Elphaba and Breena." Yackle replied, not raising her voice. "So keep your opinions to yourself you bossy old cow."

"Bossy?!" Betak's nostrils flared. "I'll show you who's…"

"Stop it!" Breena finally spoke up. "I thought you were going to work on the whole arguing every five seconds thing."

"She started it." Yackle pointed.

"How very mature." Betak's voice dripped with venom.

"I said that was enough." Breena looked back and forth between them. "Now Maeve was it? Why don't you tell us why you're here? And Yackle, you play nice or I'll make you go in the house." She raised her eyebrows when the ancient woman started to open her mouth. "Don't push your luck."

"Fine." Yackle growled.

"I'm impressed." Maeve's expression reflected her comment as she smiled at Breena.

Addena glared at her. "Just get on with your story already."

Breena put her arm around the doctor's shoulders pulling her close before kissing her on top of the head. "You play nice too."

"I, uh…" Maeve was taken aback by her actions.

"They're together." Yackle barked. "Just like them," she gestured toward Elphaba and Glinda, who had been holding hands the whole time. "Get over it and start talking."

"Oh." Maeve paused again. "You make a beautiful couple. Or maybe I should have said couples. I meant the four of you. Well, not the four of you together. The four of you in twos."

"We get it." Addena huffed.

Breena ignored the rambling and the snarky comment that made it stop. "How are you related to Yackle?"

"I'm her niece."

"Great niece." Yackle frowned when Breena gave her a look. "What? I'm not allowed to correct her when she makes a mistake?"

"Niece. Great niece." Maeve gestured with her hand.

"Yackle's right." Addena's words was curt. "There's a difference."

"Addy." Breena sighed.

"Elphie, she's not having much luck." Glinda whispered to her lover. "Maybe you should give it a try."

Elphaba nodded, more than willing to help her frustrated sister. "So that means Yackle's brother was your…"

"Grandfather." Maeve filled in the blank. "Not that I ever knew him. He left my grandmother when she was pregnant with my mom."

"Sounds familiar." Betak muttered.

Breena gave her a warning glance. "Don't start."

Betak frowned. "Start what?"

"Go ahead." Elphaba spoke before the tiny woman could say more.

Maeve timidly asked, "Are you sure?"

"She's positive." Breena fielded the question.

"OK." Maeve still hesitated a moment. "Like I said, my grandfather left before my mother was born."

"Can't say I blame him." Yackle clicked her tongue. "Your grandmother was a money grubber."

Elphaba sighed. "Yackle please..."

"No, she's right." Maeve interrupted. "My grandmother wasn't a very nice woman. She thought grandfather's family had money so she went after him."

"Mother liked to pretend we were well off." Yackle spoke again. "Father died in an accident at work when we were teenagers and his employer looked after us but we weren't rich. Not by any stretch of the imagination."

Maeve continued her narrative. "By the time she realized the truth, it was too late. She was already pregnant."

"So she tried to force him into marriage so he could, as she put it, make something of himself."

"Who's telling this story?" Betak harped at Yackle for interrupting again.

"Both of them." Breena's response left no room for argument.

"Grandfather ran off."

"With the Grimmerie." Yackle added.

"Grandmother never heard from him again. She gave birth to my mother, decided she didn't have what it took to raise her and handed her over to my great grandmother."

"You mean Yackle's mother?" Glinda tried to keep the story straight.

"The psycho herself." Yackle grumbled. "Being charged with something like learning and protecting the Grimmerie can have an odd effect on people. My father took it in stride but my mother's way of shouldering the burden was to drive my brother and I crazy by drilling its importance into our heads. We both flew the coop as soon as we were old enough to be on our own. She saw Maeve's mother as a second chance to achieve what she couldn't accomplish with us."

Maeve nodded. "Mom ate, slept and breathed magic growing up. Great grandmother scrimped and saved so that when she came of age she could travel around Oz to find the remnants of magical families to learn from. And when great grandmother decided it was time for her to further the family line she did that too by having my brother and I."

"You have a brother?" Lion had settled down during the course of the conversation.

"My twin."

"Too bad he's a good for nothing just like my own brother." Yackle grumbled.

"Darian. He ran away too." Maeve sighed. "Not that I can blame him. It wasn't easy being dragged around all over the place growing up." She looked at Breena. "But it wasn't all bad. We met you once."

Breena furrowed her brow. "You did?"

"My mom heard about you and wanted to talk to your mom."

"She wanted to study you like a lab rat." Yackle gruffed.

"She what?" Addena glowered.

"You don't know that." Maeve disagreed. "But we did come here to see your mom. She was working in the garden and told you to play with Darian and I while they talked. We were only eight so you couldn't have been any more than three. You healed me when I fell and skinned my knee."

"I did?"

Maeve nodded again. "Darian started chasing me around and I tripped over something."

Addena muttered, "Probably her own two feet," under her breath.

"I was fine until I realized I was bleeding. I started crying and Darian started freaking out because he thought I was really hurt. But not you. You just walked over to me, put your hand on my knee, did your thing, said 'all better' and went back to digging in the dirt."

"That's me." Breena smirked. "Calm cool and collected."

Maeve grinned. "Of all the people I met growing up... and let me tell you, there were quite a few... You were always my favorite."

Addena possessively slipped her arm around Breena's waist. "How sweet."

"Uh." Maeve swallowed hard at the look the doctor shot her direction. "Sorry. I didn't mean to get off track like that. To make a long story short Mom never quite fulfilled her role in the family. Eventually she got tired of trying and we settled down in a little village outside the Emerald City."

"You mean she gave up and turned her back on her responsibility."

"She most certainly did not." She snapped at Yackle. "What she did was get Darian and I into a stable environment where we could study magic."

"Out of cock and bull books." Yackle sneered.

"And what's the Grimmerie? A book." Maeve answered her own question.

"Not like the ones your mother had." Yackle countered.

"Well what was she supposed to do? Your brother ran off with the Grimmerie before she was even born. No one knew where he went or what happened to the book. She did the best she could with what she had to work with." She clinched her jaw when her aunt snorted. "Why have you always had it in for my family?"

"You honestly want to know?"

"Obviously. I just asked."

"You're not going to like it."

Maeve squared her shoulders. "I'm a big girl. I can take it."

"I doubt that, but you asked so I'll tell you." Yackle stared into her eyes. "They all flaked out. Your mother, your brother, my brother, my mother. None of them could handle our family's obligation and neither can you."

"How would you know?"

"Because you're so much like your mother it's uncanny. Right now you're all gung ho to jump right in and learn the family trade but the instant you realize what it involves that will change. You'll either decide you think it's all a bunch of hooey or you'll crack under the pressure. You won't be able to handle it any better than they did."

"But you can?" Maeve fired back. "We come from the same family. What makes you so special?"

"I'm like my father." Yackle replied honestly.

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"It does to me!" Yackle finally raised her voice. "Do you think I like telling you all of this? I'm old Maeve. I would love to have someone young and fresh to take my place because I'm afraid I won't be able to teach these two half of what they need to know before I die."

"Then let me help!"

"I can't set them up for failure either! Their destiny is too important!"

"I know!" Maeve agreed. "That's why I'm here. As soon as I realized what was happening with that Morrible woman I went looking for you. And when I didn't find you at the convent I knew it was true. That the uprising had begun and the new leaders would emerge."

"You were in a convent?" Fiyero blushed when he realized he had asked the question out loud. "I know that's not the important part of what she's saying, but come on. Do any of the rest of you have a hard time picturing her in a habit?"

Betak silenced him with a gruff, "Shut up."

"I'm sorry Maeve, but I can't do it." Yackle suddenly looked her age. "I can't risk trying to teach you only to watch you struggle the way your mother did. She was too weak, just like my brother. Only when she ran away she did it under the guise of learning more about magic when in reality she was just trying to get away from my mother. Yes she traveled, but it was more to keep up appearances than to learn. And she had you and your brother in the hopes that my mother would get off her back and concentrate on one of you. When that didn't happen she shoved magic down your throats too in the hopes that one of you would succeed."

"Who says I can't?" Maeve looked at her imploringly.

"I do." Yackle shook her head. "This conversation is over."

"Why? Because you say so?" Betak's voice stopped the older woman from walking away.

Yackle sighed. "I don't have the strength for this right now."

Betak pointed at her. "Oh no you don't. You can't stand here and bad mouth the girl and then play the age card to avoid her."

"This is none of your business."

"Like you said earlier, I'm just watching out for Elphaba and Breena." She smiled sweetly.

"Betak." Breena sounded as worn out as Yackle looked.

"What?" The Munchkin gave her an innocent look. "She might know the Grimmerie inside out, but the two of you should still have a say in who's a part of your magical life."

"She's right." Glinda nodded.

"What?!" Addena frowned at her sister.

"All of us have to start somewhere Dena."

"I say you vote. If the two of you tell her to leave too she'll go with no hard feelings. But it shouldn't just be left up to Yackle."

"Betak…"

"Or maybe she should take the hint and leave well enough alone." Addena cut Breena off.

"Not you too Addy." Breena pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I think that's a wonderful idea." Maeve threw her hat in the ring with Betak.

"You stay out of this." Yackle snapped.

"I can't." Maeve shrugged. "It's all about me."

"So what do you say Elphaba? Should she stay or should she go?" Betak took control of the conversation again.

"I think we should give her a chance." Elphaba didn't hesitate to answer. "You're going to be teaching Bree and I about the Grimmerie anyway. Why not let her sit in?"

"Because what she would need to learn from the book is completely different than what I have to teach you." Yackle reasoned.

"We're going to have to learn to tell the difference between the spells, which is what she needs to know. When it comes to actually reading or casting them she can leave the room." Elphaba met the hag's gaze. "I appreciate that you worrying about us Yackle. But if she succeeds you can rest easier knowing we're still going to have someone to turn to someday when, Oz forbid, you're gone. And if she doesn't than there's no harm done."

Betak smiled. "That's one yes. What about you Breena?"

"Yeah Bree." Addena looked up at her. "What about you?"

"I…" Breena's gaze went from Addy to Elphaba to Maeve and back again before finally settling on Elphaba. "You're right. She deserves a chance."

Addena's mouth popped open in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

"Yackle didn't deny that she's her niece." Breena gave the doctor a squeeze. "And Maeve's right, Yackle won't be around forever. Elly and I have to think about what's best for us as far as the Grimmerie is concerned."

"Do whatever you want, you're going to anyway." Yackle started toward the house again, throwing a, "Keep her out of my way," over her shoulder as she went.

"What's the matter?" Betak followed her. "Mad because they sided against you?"

"They didn't side against me."

"If you asked me they did."

"Well no one asked you."

Their bickering faded as they went inside.

"I can't believe you two." Addena pulled away from Breena so she could face both the witches.

"Dena…"

"Stay out of this." She pointed at her sister. "After everything we've all been through you're going to welcome someone you don't know into the fold with open arms?"

"She Yackle's niece." Elphaba, who knew the comment was directed more at her sister than herself, tried to come to Breena's defense.

"Well Leto was Milynn's husband and look how that turned out." Addena regretted the words the instant they left her mouth. Especially when Breena physically flinched at the names.

"Addena!" Glinda scolded her sister.

"I…" Addena was too shocked with herself to form a complete thought.

"Don't worry about it." Breena's voice was barely audible.

Addena's heart fell to her toes when her love wouldn't look at her. "Bree?"

"I should show Maeve the guest house. That way if we need anything from Munchkin Proper we can get it before the shops close."

Maeve picked up on the fact that Breena was using her as a means of escape and played along. "You have a guest house?"

Breena nodded. "Behind the garden. It's not much but it will keep you out of people's way for a while until they get used to you being around." She let the comment hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "I'm afraid it hasn't been used in a really long time though."

"That's all right." Maeve fell into step next to her as she started around the house. "I'm pretty good at cleaning."

"I'll come with you." Elphaba gave Glinda's hand a 'you deal with your sister, I'll deal with mine' squeeze before letting go and joining Breena.

"We're coming too." Fiyero spoke up as he nudged Lion.

"We are?" The feline looked confused.

"Yes." Fiyero hissed as he gave a barely visible nod toward Glinda and Addena. "They might need the help of a couple of big burly men."

"Oh. OK." Lion cluelessly followed the girls.

"I am so stupid." Addena smacked herself on the forehead after watching Breena disappear around the side of the house. "Why did I do that?"

"That's what I'd like to know." Glinda shook her head. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't. I just… I opened my mouth and it came out." Addena gestured with her hands. "I have to go talk to her."

"No. You need to leave her alone for a while."

"But…"

"Trust me. Give her some time with Elphie."

"All right."

Glinda's heart broke at her sister's dejected tone. "Everything will be all right."

"I'm not so sure." Addena tucked an errant piece of hair behind her ear. "I hurt her pretty bad just now Linny."

"And she loves you enough to forgive you."

"I hope so."

"I know so." Glinda tried to correct her.

Addena rolled her tear filled eyes. "I'm glad one of us does."

"Hey." The smaller blonde gripped her sister's hand. "What's gotten into you today?"

"I don't know." Addena grumbled. "I think it's a combination of the talk we were having and being insanely jealous of Maeve."

"Maeve? Why would you be jealous of her?"

"She was touching Bree and smiling at her and being all flirty."

"Flirty? She's been here all of five seconds."

Addena gave her a look. "Says the woman who wanted to rip Fiyero's head off for being within ten feet of Elphaba."

Glinda wrinkled her nose. "I see your point. But you have to take your own advice and realize that Breena doesn't want to be with anyone but you."

"I know that. It's just…" Addena swallowed hard as her tears finally started to fall. "I'm afraid of losing her."

"Now you're just talking nonsense." Glinda pulled her into a hug. "Those Thropps are stuck with us whether they like it or not."

Addena returned the embrace but couldn't shake the feeling that she was right. That some how some way she was about to lose Bree forever.


	3. Chapter 3

"I just wanted to say thanks."

Breena ground her teeth as Maeve's voice filled the guest house… again. The woman hadn't stopped talking since they got there.

"I know I've said it a thousand times already…."

She literally bit her lip to keep from saying, "Yes you have!"

"But I want to make sure you both know what this means to me."

Great, now she was going to launch into the whole 'Aunt Yackle is so hard to get along with but maybe she'll listen to you better than she listens to me' conversation for what seemed like the millionth time.

"Aunt Yackle can be so hard to get along with but she seems to respect the two of you. Maybe…"

Breena tuned her out, concentrating on cleaning the sideboard in the small dining room instead. Of course it had to be the only room in the house attached to the living room, where Maeve was cleaning. The others were cleaning too, they just scattered to the wind to get away from the human talking machine.

"And I just know I won't let you down."

She closed her eyes, willing away whatever smart ass remark the voice in the back of her head was working on. After all, it wasn't Maeve's fault she was in such a bad mood. It was Addy's.

Her hand curled into a fist at her side. How could she have been so insensitive? Didn't she realize how Leto's betrayal affected her? How just hearing his name made her blood boil? How much it made her want to…

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the sound of something shattering was quickly followed by Maeve screaming. She made it into the living room at the same time as Fiyero and Lion, who came running in from the kitchen.

"What?" Fiyero frantically looked around. "What happened? Is everyone all right?" He relaxed when he saw pieces of a lamp laying on the floor. "Oh, you broke a lamp."

"Is that all?" Lion had one paw on his chest. "You scared the life out of me."

"But…"

"Don't worry about it." Fiyero interrupted her. "Breena's not the type to get mad over something like that."

"Good because I didn't do it."

"She might not be as understanding if you lie." Lion clarified.

"I'm not lying!"

"Calm down." Fiyero gestured at her with his hand.

Maeve pointed at the feline. "Why don't you tell him to stop calling me a liar?"

"I never said you were a liar." Lion shrugged. "But you were the only one near the table."

"That doesn't mean I broke the lamp!"

"If you didn't than who did?"

Maeve shrugged. "How am I supposed to know?!"

"What's going on out here?" Elphaba spoke as she came down the hallway leading to the bedroom.

"Maeve broke a lamp." Lion answered.

"I did not." She growled.

"Well someone did." Fiyero spoke before either of them could say more. "Lamps don't just shatter like that on their own."

Elphaba was about to agree when she noticed Breena staring at the broken light fixture with what appeared to be a mix of awe and trepidation. Something was up with her sister and she needed to find out what it was. But she couldn't do that with everyone else around. "It's not a problem so it doesn't matter who broke it."

"It's not that it's broken." Maeve persisted. "It's that he keeps saying I did it."

"I'll tell you what, I'll finish up in here if you go put the finishing touches on the bedroom." Elphaba offered a compromise.

"Fine." Maeve grumbled, muttering, "But I didn't break it," as she went back the hall.

"I didn't accuse her of anything." Lion defended himself. "It just seems funny that she's the only one who was in the living room when it broke."

"It's all right." Elphaba patted him on the arm as she glanced at Breena again. "Why don't you two go finish the kitchen?"

"Three women in the house and we get stuck with kitchen duty."

"Yero." Elphaba raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'm going, I'm going." Fiyero sighed as he started back toward the kitchen. "Come on Lion. The sooner we get back to it the sooner it'll be done."

"I don't know what you're complaining about." Lion followed him. "The kitchen is my favorite room in the house."

Elphaba made sure they were gone before turning toward her sister. "Bree?" She furrowed her brow when she didn't get a response. "Bree?" She walked over to her as she continued to stare. "Breena, can you hear me?"

Breena finally snapped out of her funk when her sister waved her hand in her face. She took a half step back to avoid the offending appendage. "What are you doing?"

"Bringing you back to the here and now." Elphaba watched her closely. "Are you all right?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?"

"You were staring off into space and missed a whole argument over who broke a lamp."

"Argument?" Breena frowned. "Who was arguing?"

"Maeve and Lion. Apparently the lamp shattered and Maeve was the only one in the room so Lion said she did it but she insists that she didn't."

"She's right. She didn't."

Elphaba frowned. "Then who did?"

Breena sighed. "I think it was me."

"Were you in the room when it happened?"

"No."

"Did you cast a spell?"

"No."

"Then how could you have done it?"

"The same way you threw me across the room at Glinda's house without using your hands or saying a spell."

"But Glinda was…" Elphaba couldn't bring herself to say the word. "Let's just say I was really upset and leave it at that."

Breena nodded. "So was I. Over Addy mentioning…" She clinched her jaw. "You know who."

"Whoa!" Elphaba flinched as the matching lamp exploded too.

"Sorry." Breena gave her a sheepish look. "Apparently the trigger is…"

"Don't say it. Don't even think it. Just go to a happy place in your head until I can get you out of here." Her sister cut her off.

"What's going on?" Fiyero and Lion came charging back into the room, the former scarecrow instantly spotting the second broken lamp. "How in Oz does that keep happening?"

Lion narrowed his eyes as he looked into the living room. "Is she hiding in there somewhere?"

"No, I'm right here." Maeve's tone was smug as she reentered the room. "And I _told_ you I didn't break the other lamp."

"And I said it doesn't matter who broke either of them." Elphaba snapped out authoritatively. "Now you three get back to work while Bree and I go find a broom to clean this up."

"Too bad you don't carry yours everywhere you go like you used to." Fiyero raised his eyebrows at the look he got. "Right. I'll just be shutting up now." He took Lion by the arm. "Let's go."

"Geez." Lion went along willingly. "She can be pretty scary when she wants to be."

Maeve's mouth popped open as the boys left the room. "It was you." She pointed at Breena. "You did it."

Elphaba sighed but the woman beat her to saying anything.

"You used magic didn't you?" She didn't give her a chance to answer before throwing her hands in the air dramatically. "My first time seeing you do magic and I didn't even realize what was going on. Way to go Maeve. You'll be of real help to them someday."

Breena looked at her like she was crazy as she continued to chastise herself by mumbling under her breath. "We're just going to go get that broom now."

"Wait!" The volume of Maeve's voice made all three of them jump. "I'm sorry. I know I've been acting like a lunatic today, but I really want this to work out. And it's pretty damn frustrating to know your family is meant to be involved with magic and you can't even spot it when it happens right under your nose."

"If it makes you feel any better, it snuck up on me too."

She seemed shocked by Breena's admission. "Really?"

Elphaba nodded. "It has a tendency to do that."

"I thought maybe you were taking pot shots at me. You know, to see how I would react."

"Neither one of us would do that." Breena sounded offended.

"Easy tiger." Elphaba patted her on the shoulder to try to calm her down. "Bree was upset when whatever happened with the lamps happened so we're just going to go for a little walk to calm her down so it doesn't happen again."

"Right." Maeve nodded. "There are a lot of breakables in here. I'll keep the boys in line while you're gone."

Elphaba grinned. "You do that." She started to lead Breena out of the house. "Oh, and Maeve," she looked over her shoulder. "Relax. Things with Yackle will work out."

"Thanks." The woman returned her grin.

"That was really nice of you."

"What?" Elphaba asked as she opened the door.

"Telling Maeve everything would be all right. She needs to know someone is on her side before Yackle starts giving her an even harder time." Breena took a big breath of fresh air as they stepped outside. "Oh yeah. This is what I needed."

Elphaba shrugged. "You're not the only one who knows her sister."

The corner of Breena's mouth turned up as they started to walk the path around the garden. They made a full lap before Elphaba spoke again.

"Better?"

"Much." Breena nodded. "I usually don't get that mad. But to hear Addy say something like that…"

"Don't get upset again." Elphaba cut her off. "And you know she didn't say it to be mean."

"Do I?"

"Yes. Addena would never intentionally hurt you Bree. She loves you."

"She had a funny way of showing it earlier."

"Do you want to know what I think happened?" Elphaba didn't wait for her to reply. "I think she got jealous of Maeve and was trying to get rid of her and didn't ever realize what she was saying until she had already said it. I bet she's at the house right now beating herself up about the whole thing."

"Jealous? Of Maeve?" Breena frowned. "Addena's not the jealous type."

"She's an Upland isn't she?"

"What do you mean? Glinda's not…"

"Are you kidding me?" Elphaba snorted. "Didn't you see the looks she was giving Fiyero when he asked me questions about the house? Or any other time depending on her mood."

"Really?"

"Really."

Breena shook her head in disbelief. "And here I thought you two had the perfect relationship."

"It's pretty close, but no relationship is truly prefect."

"Yours seems to be."

Elphaba grinned. "That's because we both work at it. We were apart for so long that now that we're back together, we're determined to make it last. Being head over heels in love with her helps too."

"I hope Addy and I can be like the two of you someday."

"You already are."

"Yeah right. All we seem to do is argue and disagree about things."

"Are you forgetting that Glinda and I hated each other when we first met? And I'm not exaggerating by using the word hate either. She thought I was an antisocial recluse and I thought she was an airheaded socialite. But then we got to know each other, just like you and Addena are doing now."

Breena chuckled dryly. "The getting to know you stage."

"It doesn't last forever Bree."

"It sure seems like it has."

"That's because you started to fall for her while we were all under stress thanks to Morrible. But now that she's out of the picture you've got to let yourself relax. You and Addena were made for each other."

Breena looked at her with unsure eyes. "Do you really think so?"

"I know so. It's hard to miss true love when you see it. Unless you're the one falling for someone, then you're completely blind." She knew her words had the desired effect when her sister grinned. "You're doing fine, Bree." She lovingly gripped her shoulder. "Just cut yourself some slack."

Breena pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for the pep talk, Elly."

"Anytime." Elphaba held her close for a moment before pulling away. "Now go make up. You've both been brooding long enough."

"You're right." Breena smiled. "I'm going to go find my woman."

Elphaba watched her walk away for a second before saying, "Try not to blow anything else up." She waited a beat. "And send Glinda over with that broom."

"It looks wonderful if I do say so myself."

"Yeah."

Glinda's heart sank at her sister's less than enthusiastic response. She had hoped using their combined magic to finish the repairs on the house would keep her mind off of the fact that Breena still hadn't made an appearance but it obviously wasn't working. She kept staring in the direction the witch had gone, a mix of fear and sadness in her eyes.

"She'll be surprised."

"If she ever comes back. Maybe she'll stay in the guest house and send her new best friend to stay here with the rest of us."

"Dena." Glinda touched her sister's arm, finding it hard to come up with anything that might make her feel better. She would react the same way if she knew Elphaba was upset with her.

"I think I'll take my wand back inside and…" Addena shrugged tiredly. "I don't know. Mope around some more."

She was watching her sister go, shoulders slumped as if she were carrying the weight of the world, when she caught sight of something out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't stop herself from squealing when she saw Breena coming toward them.

"Dena look."

"Linny, I really don't feel like…"

"Look!" Glinda practically wiggled as she pointed in Breena's direction. "I told you she'd come back."

Addena swallowed hard as Breena got closer. She'd been watching for her for what seemed like an eternity and now that she was actually there she had no idea what she should do.

Her indecision only lasted a split second before she strode purposefully toward the witch, not stopping until they were toe to toe.

"Addy I…"

She cut her off with a kiss. And not one of their polite, someone is watching so we better keep it modest kisses either. She packed everything into the liplock, wanting Breena to know just how much she was feeling. She didn't let go until her lungs were screaming for oxygen.

She took a half step back, giving herself a second to try and catch her breath. "Bree I'm…"

This time it was Breena's turn to kiss her. She slipped her arms around the doctor and pulled her close as their mouths meshed in a tender caress. "I love you," she breathed against her lips once they parted.

"I love you too." Addena pulled back to look at her. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have said what I said."

"And I shouldn't have overreacted that way." Breena countered. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"No." Addena cupped her cheek. "I was…"

"I know." Breena grinned.

"You do?"

She nodded. "Elly had a pretty convincing theory about you being jealous of Maeve."

"She did?" Glinda piped in, clapping her hand over her mouth when she realized she spoke out loud. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"That's all right." Breena's grin became a smile. "But you should know you're busted as far as being jealous of Fiyero is concerned."

"Elphie figured that out too huh?"

"Yep. She's a pretty smart girl."

"Just like her sister." Addena stared into Breena's eyes for a moment before cuddling against her chest.

"Flattery will get you everywhere." Breena tightened her grip.

Glinda smiled at them. "I know you two need some time alone so I'm just going to go inside."

Breena spoke up before she could move. "Actually Elly could use your help at the guest house."

"Really?" Glinda looked intrigued.

"Not for that." Breena chuckled as she shook her head. "Fiyero, Lion and Maeve are there."

"Oh yeah." The blonde's intrigue turned to disappointment.

"She needs you to take a broom."

"Her broom?" She perked up again.

"No. I don't think it would appreciate being used to actually clean something up."

Glinda frowned. "You mean Elphie wants me to help her clean?"

"I didn't say that. I said she wants you to take her a broom. Maybe she'll do all the cleaning and you can watch."

"That sounds entertaining." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"It could be." Breena raised an eyebrow when Glinda gave her a doubtful look. "Think of all the bending over."

Glinda's face lit up. "Is there one in the kitchen?"

Breena smiled again. "There sure is."

"Have fun making up." Glinda gave them a little wave before hurrying into the house.

"It's so easy to make her happy." Breena looked down at the woman in her arms when she didn't get a reply. "Addy?" Her heart broke when she heard her sniffle. "Are you crying?"

"I can't help it." Addena pulled her as close as she possibly could. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Bree. You have to believe that."

"I do." Breena held her at arm's length. "And you need to accept that Maeve isn't interested in me."

Addena scoffed as her love wiped tears from her cheeks.

"Even if she was she wouldn't stand a snowballs chance in hell of getting me. I'm already taken."

"Damn straight you are." Addena was quick to agree.

"And thanks for fixing the house." Breena admired the blondes' handiwork. "At the rate we were going it would have taken us until Lurlinemas to finish."

"It was Glinda's idea."

"Really? Remind me to thank her later." She looked at Addy adoringly. "But I'll thank you right now."

A ghost of a grin played across Addena's features as Bree closed the gap between them, drawing her into a deep kiss.


	4. Chapter 4

"This sucks." Addena threw herself down on the couch as soon as she entered the living room.

Glinda quickly flopped down next to her with a heartfelt, "That doesn't even begin to cover it."

Fiyero, who was reclined on the other couch, looked up from the book he was reading. "What's wrong with you two?"

"We were _supposed_ to get to spend some time with Elphie and Breena today." Glinda sighed.

Addena nodded. "But then Yackle came upstairs while we were talking about what we wanted to do and 'summoned' them." She used her fingers to make air quotes.

He shut the book and sat up. "She wasn't exactly little Mary Sunshine when she stormed through here a few minutes ago either."

Maeve came into the room, smiling when she spotted Glinda and Addena. "Have Elphaba and Breena made it down yet?"

"No." Addena gruffed.

Glinda frowned at the newcomer. "Could you try and not be so happy when the rest of us are miserable?"

Maeve furrowed her brow as she sat next to Fiyero. "What?"

"Yackle told Elphie and Breena they could have today off and now she's going back on her promise." Glinda continued to frown. "I know it gives you more time to learn the Grimmerie, but we're not very happy about it."

"Yeah." Addena growled. "So wipe that stupid smile off your face."

"Addy." Breena chose that moment to walk in with her sister.

Addena rolled her eyes. "Sorry."

"Elphie," Glinda looked up at her lover as she came to a stop next to the couch. "How long will this take?"

Elphaba sighed. "I don't know."

"She didn't even give you a time frame?" The petite blonde persisted.

"It's Yackle." Breena tried to help out. "It could be five minutes, it could be five hours."

"Five hours?!"

Fiyero flinched as Glinda echoed her words. "Wrong thing to say."

"She didn't mean it that way." Elphaba returned the favor.

"Yeah, I just meant she's unpredictable." Breena sat on the arm of the couch next to Addena. "And we don't like this any more than you do. It feels like she's trying to cram the Grimmerie down our throats."

"We could use some down time." Elphaba readily agreed.

"And you're going to get it." Betak came bustling into the room with a basket in one hand and a couple of blankets thrown over her arm.

"Is that a picnic basket?" Fiyero beamed. "I love picnics."

"It's not for you." The old woman shot him a look. "It's for the girls."

His smile quickly disappeared. "Why do they get to have all the fun?"

"If you think spending nearly a week being cooped up with that crazy woman is fun you give it a try." Betak shook her head.

Maeve eyed the older woman wearily. "Aunt Yackle isn't going to like this."

"Ask me if I care." Betak turned to the girls. "They need a break and they're going to get it." She handed Elphaba the basket and shoved the blankets at Addena. "Now…"

"What are you two doing in here?" Yackle interrupted as she joined them. "I thought I told you to meet me in..." Her voice trailed off when she spotted the basket Elphaba was holding. "What's that?"

"What's what?" Breena tried to feign innocence.

"That." She pointed.

"They're going on a picnic." Fiyero sighed. "The lucky dogs."

"Picnic?" Yackle chuckled. "They don't have time for anything like that."

"I told you she wasn't going to like it." Maeve mumbled.

"They will if you leave them alone today." Betak countered.

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Out of the goodness of your heart."

Yackle scoffed.

"I know you have one in there somewhere." Betak ignored her. "They're young and in love. They need some time alone."

"They have their whole lives."

"Not if you keep smothering them."

"Smothering?" Yackle frowned. "I'm not smothering anyone."

"What do you call keeping them in the apothecary for hours on end?"

"Teaching them."

"I don't know about Elphaba but if you keep pushing Breena the way you have been she'll shut down and won't learn a damn thing."

Breena nodded. "Information overload and I don't get along. It's like I have an off switch in my brain."

"It doesn't with Elphie either." Glinda reached over to rub a green arm. "You should have seen her when exams rolled around at Shiz. All she did for two weeks before they started was go to class, study and sleep. I had to beg her to eat."

"I don't understand why you're so determined to make them learn so fast anyway." Betak didn't bother looking away from Yackle. "It's ridiculous."

"No, this is ridiculous. You don't know the first thing about what I'm trying to teach them."

Betak made a shooing motion behind her back at the girls. "Why don't you enlighten me?"

They all four grinned as Breena slid off the arm of the couch and Glinda and Addena quietly stood up.

Maeve frowned. "Hey, where are you…"

Fiyero's eyes got big, knowing he needed to help the girls. So he did the first thing that came to mind. He grabbed Maeve, cutting her off with a kiss.

Yackle turned when she heard her niece's voice, scowling when she saw what was happening. "Great. Is sucking face suddenly contagious around here?"

Fiyero had Maeve positioned just right to see when the girls were safely out of the room. "Sucking face?" He grinned as he pulled away. "I've never heard it called that before."

"What were you saying?" Yackle growled at Maeve, trying to ignore Fiyero completely.

"I… He…" The poor woman looked completely disoriented for a moment before grabbing the front of Fiyero's shirt and bringing their mouths together again.

The girls were too busy escaping to notice the impromptu make out session happening on the couch. They were almost to the front door when it suddenly opened, revealing Lion. Breena hurried forward to stifle his scream.

"Shh." She tried to soothe him. "It's just us."

He nodded, letting her know it was OK to take her hand of his mouth. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be standing here."

"We weren't expecting the door to open but you didn't hear any of us scream like a girl." Addena grinned. She liked to tease the big cat. It seemed fitting considering he couldn't remember her name when they first met.

Lion returned her grin. It quickly became a full fledged smile when he spotted the basket. "Are you going on your picnic?"

Addena nodded. "We need to get out of here for a little while."

"I know. That's why I helped Betak pick what to put in the basket before I took my run. You're going to love what's in there."

"Not if we don't get out of here." Glinda peered over her shoulder toward the living room.

"Oh, right." Lion gestured toward the open door as he stepped back. "Enjoy yourselves. And don't worry. Me and Betak will keep her busy if she tries to follow you."

Elphaba gave him a, "Thanks," as they literally ran out the door.

They kept up their harried pace until they were well away from the house.

"We did it." Glinda gripped Elphie's hand.

Addena chuckled. "You make it sound like we escaped from Southstairs."

"Close enough." Breena sighed.

"It hasn't been that bad." Elphaba disagreed. "Yes Yackle's been monopolizing our time lately but it's not like she's a warden or anything. We've learned a lot."

Glinda gave her a look. "Are you saying you'd rather spend time with her than me?"

"Of course not." Elphaba pulled her arm to her side, bringing her lover with it. "I just think we should cut her a little slack. She's only trying to help."

"OK, let's make a deal." Breena spoke up before either of them could say anything else. "No more talk of magic for the rest of the day."

"Good idea Bree." Addena was walking close enough to slip her arm around the woman's waist.

Breena grinned. "Why thank you. I do come up with one every now and then. Here," she reached for the blankets. "Let me take those."

"It's not like they're heavy."

"That's not the point."

"Thanks." Addena gave her a loving squeeze.

Glinda leaned ever so slightly closer to Elphaba as she watched them. "Speaking of good ideas Breena, where are we going for this picnic?"

"There's a lake just behind Colwen Grounds. Mom and I used to go there all the time when I was little. And call me Bree. Everyone else does."

"All right Bree." She let it roll off her tongue. "But only if you do me the honor of calling me Linny."

"I might be able to do that." Breena narrowed her eyes. "But I think I'd rather call you something like curly. Oh, or blondie."

"Hey." Addena pouted. "You don't have a cutsie name for me."

"You're my Addy." Breena smiled at her. "But I can try to come up with something else if you'd like."

They chatted as they continued to walk into the woods between Breena's house and Colwen Grounds. But the further they walked, the quieter everyone got.

Addena finally sighed. "Are we almost there? I'm sweating like a pig."

Elphaba furrowed her brow. "I'm pretty sure pigs don't sweat."

"It's a figure of speech." Glinda elbowed her in the side.

"You're too hot?" Breena asked, grinning when Addy nodded. "Glinda, would you mind taking these for me?"

Glinda looked confused as she took the proffered blankets. "Sure."

"Thanks." Breena suddenly picked Addena up, throwing her over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?!" Addena screeched the moment her feet left the ground.

Breena yelled, "Cooling you off!" as she sprinted into the trees before them.

"Where do you think she's..." Glinda's question was cut off by a loud splash.

Elphaba smiled. "Sounds like we're close to the lake."

A few more feet found them in a clearing dominated by a picturesque body of water.

"It's a good thing Bree knew where this place was. Otherwise we might have walked right by it." Glinda put the blankets down as looked at Breena and Addena. "I hope you know it's going to take your clothes forever to dry."

Breena smiled. "Yours too."

She opened her mouth to ask what she meant but didn't get the chance before Elphaba swept her into her arms. "What are you..." Her eyes got big as the green woman ran toward the water. "Elphie!!"

They surfaced beside Breena and a less than happy looking Addena.

"What the hell has gotten into the two of you?" She frowned at Breena. "If you wanted to swim you could have at least let us strip down to our underwear. Hello?" She snapped her fingers in her girlfriend's face when she didn't answer.

"Sorry." Breena gave her a goofy grin. "I was picturing you stripping."

"Bree." Elphaba blushed.

"Give it a try." Glinda eyed Elphie appreciatively. "It's fun."

"Glinda!" She blushed harder.

Breena slipped her arms around the still perturbed doctor. "Don't be mad Addy. I was just trying to have some fun." She pulled her closer. "And we can't go anywhere until we're dry."

"Are you saying we're going to have to cuddle on the blankets in the nice warm sun?" Addena's expression finally softened.

"In our underwear?" Glinda's eyes sparkled as she followed suit and wrapped her arms around her lover.

Addena quirked an eyebrow. "Our clothes would dry faster if we hung them in a tree."

"I'm all for stripping." Breena shrugged.

"Can we not call it that?" Elphaba was still blushing as they started toward shore.

Glinda gripped her hand. "For you Elphie, anything."

"I can't believe how shy you are sometimes Elphaba. Especially considering who you're related to." Addena nodded toward Breena.

"Hey." Breena splashed her.

"Brat." Addena splashed her back.

"Water fight!" Glinda pushed her hands across the surface of the water, soaking all three of them.

A lot of splashing and sputtering later they finally made their way back to dry land.

"I'll get you back for that last one Elly." Addena leaned her head to the side, shaking her finger in her ear to try to get some water out. "You don't mind if I call you that do you?"

Elphaba smiled. "Sorry you got caught in the cross fire. And I think you earned the right to call me whatever you'd like after helping me with the human splashing machine here."

Glinda gave them a smug look. "I can't help it if I'm good."

"Last one down to their underwear is a rotten egg." Breena smirked as Elphaba rolled her eyes. "Hey, I didn't call it stripping did I?"

"You lose." Addena strutted over to the blankets in nothing but her undies, claiming one for herself before handing the other to Glinda, who had quickly shucked her dress.

Breena frowned mid tugging her pants off. "How did you two do that so quick?"

"It's a skill." Addena purred as she spread the blanket on the ground and laid down. "Now hurry up so you can join me."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Breena hurriedly finished with the pants and pulled her sopping shirt over her head before flopping down next to the blonde.

"Here." Glinda led Elphaba over to their blanket. "Let me help you with those."

Elphaba frowned. "But I…" Her breath caught in her throat as Glinda snaked her hands under her shirt, running them up her stomach so her forearms could lift the wet material. "Well if you insist."

"I do." Glinda let her hands pause on the breasts she loved so much for a moment before continuing up to Elphaba's shoulders. "You're going to have to lift your arms for me."

"What?" Elphaba was too wrapped up in the sensation to hear her.

Glinda giggled. "Lift your arms."

Elphaba's cheeks turned a deeper shade of green. "Sorry."

"Don't be." Glinda finished with her shirt and started on her pants. "You're beautiful when you blush."

"Only when I blush?" Elphaba stepped out of the pants as Glinda finished pushing them down her legs.

Glinda looked up at her. "You know better than that."

Elphaba grinned. "Come here." She gripped the blonde's arm, lifting her to her feet so she could kiss her.

"I've been waiting for that all day." Glinda breathed before crushing their lips together again.

"Remember to keep it PG out here kids." Breena grinned at them. "You wouldn't want to scare the fish."

"Aren't we supposed to be doing some scaring of our own?"

She returned her attention to the blonde she was leaning over. "No, if I remember correctly I'm supposed to be thinking of cutsie names for you."

Addena's blue eyes shone as she ran her hand up Breena's arm. "Have you come up with any?"

"A few." Breena leaned in closer, brushing her lips against Addena's ear. "I would call you baby." She started kissing down her neck. "But you're no baby." She continued on her way. "So we could go with sweets." She spent a moment on her collar bone. "Or smoochy."

"Smoochy?" Addena giggled.

"No? How about punkin?"

Addena's back arched as Breena reached her chest. "Don't you mean pumpkin?"

"Nope." Breena kissed first one breast and then the other. "Punkin sounds cutsier."

"I'll show you something cute." Addena gently grabbed the hair on the back of her head, guiding her back up so their mouths could meet.

The clothes were forgotten as both couples let themselves get lost in each other.

"Oh look." Glinda rolled onto her back sometime later, still snuggled against her lover's side. "A swan."

"Really?" Elphaba lifted her head to look toward the water. "Where?"

"Not out there silly, up there." The blonde pointed toward the sky. "See it?"

Elphaba furrowed her brow as she rested her head against the blanket again. "You mean that cloud?"

"Uh huh. See? There's the head and the body. You can even see its tail." Glinda drew with her outstretched finger.

She cocked her head to the side, brow still furrowed. "No, it looks more like a blob to me."

"It does not."

"If you can see a swan why can't I see a blob?"

Glinda sighed. "What about that one?"

Elphaba considered the cloud behind the first one carefully. "A slightly smaller blob."

"You mean you don't see a kitten?"

"No."

Glinda propped herself up on her left elbow so she could look at her lover. "You're not even trying!"

"Yes I am." Elphaba defended herself. "It's not my fault that a collection of water droplets in the sky doesn't look like a cute fuzzy animal."

"You and that scientific brain."

"Yeah Elly." Breena agreed with Glinda. "Even I can see the kitten."

Addena gave the witch stretched out on top of her a swat. "You're not even looking."

"Fine." Breena untangled herself from the doctor so she could roll onto her back, smiling when Addena instantly shifted positions too, curling against her side with her head on her chest. "There. Now I can see the kitten. And a monkey."

"A monkey?" Elphaba frowned. "You're making that up."

"No I'm not." Breena disagreed. "Ladies, prepare yourselves. We have incoming."

As if on cue a flying monkey swept into the space between the blankets.

"Chistery!" Elphaba tried to cover her and Glinda with the edge of the blanket.

"Miss Elphaba." The monkey bowed at the waist.

"Hey Chistery." Breena lifted the arm she had around Addena to wave at him. "Long time no see."

"Miss Breena." Chistery grinned. "It has been too long."

"What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

"Master Lion told me this is where you would more than likely be. I have a message for you and Miss Elphaba." He pulled an emerald colored envelope from the pocket of his vest. "From the Wizard."

"Leave it to Dad." Breena motioned for him to give her the envelope.

"And one for the Uplands." Chistery produced another envelope, offering it to Addena.

"Us?" Glinda looked confused.

"Yes. From the Upper Uplands."

Addena took the envelope. "It's from Dad."

Glinda nodded. "He and Momsie must be back from their trip."

"It's probably a bill for the damages Morrible caused. Ow." Breena scowled when Addena pinched her.

The doctor ignored her. "Thank you Chistery."

"You are most welcome." The monkey bent at the waist again.

"Why don't you go to the house Chistery?" Elphaba kept the blanket firmly in place. "We'll…"

"Miss Betak said you are to finish your picnic." He interrupted her. "Everything else will keep until you make it back to the house."

"Good old Betak." Breena grinned.

"You could join us." Glinda gestured toward the picnic basket.

"Thank you but Miss Betak is holding lunch for me." With that Chistery took to the skies again.

"He's not much for idle chit chat is he?" Addena pushed herself into a sitting position. "Might as well see what…"

"No." Breena stopped her from opening the envelope. "I say we finally take care of the clothes and eat before we let the outside world back in."

"I agree." Glinda nodded. "Otherwise Betak wouldn't be too happy with any of us. I'll handle the clothes if you two get whatever's in the basket ready."

"We can do that." Breena took both envelopes and laid them on the edge of the blanket. "Come on Doc. Let's see what kind of grub we've got."

"Doc?" Addena raised an eyebrow as she accepted a hand up.

Breena quirked an eyebrow back at her. "What? Not cutsie enough?"

Glinda couldn't help but smile at them as she got up too. "I think it's safe to put the blanket down now Elphie."

She started gathering the clothes, giggling at the perplexed look on Elphaba's face.


	5. Chapter 5

Maeve asked herself, yet again, what she thought she was doing as she peered around the corner. She wasn't sure what she was hoping to accomplish by coming to see her aunt. Yackle had stormed back to the apothecary the instant she realized Breena and Elphaba were gone, grumbling to herself about how irresponsible some people could be. And her aunt couldn't stand her under the best of circumstances. What would she be like now that she was in a truly foul mood?

Yet here she was, covertly watching her as she poured over a book, occasionally muttering to herself as she took notes on whatever it was she was reading. She was thorough, Maeve had to give her that. The things she taught Breena and Elphaba during their sessions were well researched and thought out. At least the part she got to stick around for.

Her eyes traveled to her aunt's left, coming to rest on the Grimmerie. The ancient tome was never far from the old woman's grasp... almost as if she thought it might come up missing again. Maeve couldn't help but notice the furtive glances Yackle gave her whenever she was around the book, almost as if she was daring her to try to touch it. Not that she would. Not until she convinced her aunt that she wasn't there for any reason other than to learn.

That's what this intended visit boiled down to. She never got the chance to talk to Yackle one on one. Everyone was around the day she arrived and Elphaba and Breena had been there every time she saw her aunt since. But that was going to change. She couldn't have the old woman treating her like some kind of plague victim. Not if she wanted to truly learn the family trade. So she was going to march into the room and tell her how she felt.

Just as soon as she worked up the nerve.

She sighed, leaning her head back against the wall in frustration. No one had ever accused her of being a coward. If anything she was too headstrong, independent and willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted for her own good. But just the thought of Yackle giving her one of those stern glares was enough to send her running with her tail between her legs.

Not that she had much better luck when she tried to talk to anyone else in the house. Betak outright ignored her, Breena and Elphaba seemed nice enough but she knew they were only tolerating her because they had to, Glinda and Addena looked at her as some kind of obstacle to spending time with their girlfriends, Lion was too shy to say anything and Fiyero... Things were OK with him until she had to go and kiss him.

She sighed again, closing her eyes. There was no explanation for her behavior earlier so she wasn't even going to waste her time trying to come up with one. Yes Fiyero technically kissed her first, but that was only to keep her from spoiling the girls' escape. She acted like some kind of animal, grabbing his shirt and mashing her lips against his.

Not that it seemed to bother him. He just gave her a confident grin and asked her how it was for her once they parted. So maybe it wasn't a big deal after all. Maybe it was all just a game to him. After all, he was handsome as sin. He'd probably had girls eating out of his hand most of his life.

"I wondered how long it would take you to come sniffing around."

Maeve nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her aunt's voice. Her eyes flew open to find Yackle standing in the doorway of the apothecary, staring at her. "I wasn't... I mean I..."

"Spit it out girl." Yackle shook her head. "What's with you and stammering all of a sudden? You certainly didn't do it as a child. But now you couldn't complete a full sentence if you tried."

"Yes I can!" That got Maeve's dander up. "Not that you would know since all you do is avoid me."

"Avoid you?" The old woman shook her head doubtfully.

"Well what would you call it? You don't speak to me, you don't look at me. Hell, half the time I wonder if you even know I'm alive."

"I would have noticed if you weren't breathing. And don't curse."

"Don't curse she says." Maeve threw one hand in the world. "Don't play the concerned aunt. I wouldn't want you to strain yourself."

She tried to stop the words as they left her mouth but couldn't. What was she doing? She never would make any progress with her aunt talking to her like that.

Yackle continued to stare at her for a moment before cracking up. "Now there's the Maeve I remember. Full of piss and vinegar."

She looked at her like she was crazy. "You mean you're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"I... I mean..."

"Don't start that again." Yackle walked back into the apothecary, knowing the girl would follow. "I figured if you hung around you'd want another go at me eventually. I'm surprised it took you so long."

"You've been expecting this?"

The old woman nodded.

"Couldn't you have told me and saved us both a lot of aggravation?"

"No. Because then I would have been making the effort."

"And I need to be the one doing all the work if this is going to pan out."

"Exactly."

Maeve shook her head. "You're a complicated one Aunt Yackle."

"And proud of it." She sat on one of the stools at the work table. "Now let's get on with this so I can get back to what I was doing."

Her nerve suddenly disappeared. "Get on with what?"

"If you wanted to keep me company you could have done it without peaking around the corner a thousand times. So try to convince me to accept you belong here." She made a 'give it to me' gesture with her hand.

"I..." Maeve swallowed hard. "No."

Yackle frowned. "What?"

"I said no." She nodded, hoping she was doing the right thing.

"What do you mean no?"

"Just what it sounds like. I'm not going to plead my case so you can throw the rest of my family in my face again. I told you I'm nothing like them but obviously you don't believe me. So I guess I'm just going to have to prove it to you by taking whatever you want to dish out."

Yackle raised an eyebrow. "You think persistence will win me over?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you're just pigheaded enough for it to work." Maeve shrugged. "And I can't think of anything else to try."

Yackle nodded as she pursed her lips. "Let me know how that works out for you."

"OK." She was unsure of what she should do next, especially when Yackle went back to her book. "I guess I'll be going now."

"You could stay." Yackle didn't bother to look up. "Read something on transportation spells so you'll be of some use during our next session."

"Really?" Maeve realized how excited she sounded. "I mean, yeah. I guess I could do that."

Yackle watched her skimming the titles on the bookshelf for a moment before saying, "But don't think this means I like you."

"I know better than that." Maeve couldn't stop herself from grinning.

"Yum." Breena purred in the back of her throat as she popped another bite of sandwich into her mouth.

"Geez Bree, do you like that or something?" Addena rolled her eyes at the others.

Glinda giggled. "What tipped you off?"

"Probably the fact she barely gave the rest of us a chance to eat anything before she cleaned out the basket." Elphaba chuckled.

"There's still cheese and wine. Besides, it's not my fault Oznut spread and Munchkinberry jam sandwiches are my favorite." Breena licked her finger. "They always have been."

Addena laughed. "Cooking for you will be easy."

Glinda gasped. "You're going to cook for her?"

"Don't give me the 'mother would be so disappointed' look."

"There's nothing wrong with cooking." Breena said as she chewed.

"I didn't say anything about cooking."

"Yes you did." Glinda disagreed.

"No," Addena stressed the word, "I didn't."

"Actually you did." Elphaba decided to help out. "Your exact words were 'cooking for you will be easy.'"

Glinda nodded. "And the 'you' in question was Breena."

"But did I say I would be doing the cooking?" Addena shook her head, adding an emphatic, "No," to prove her point.

"Good." Breena snuck a stray piece of sandwich off her girlfriend's plate. "Because you strike me as the type that could burn water."

"Hey!" Addena frowned.

Breena chuckled. "Don't worry. I can cook enough for the two of us."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. Betak made sure of that." Breena furrowed her brow quizzically when Addena continued to stare at her. "What?"

"You're such a brat." Addena gave her a playful shove.

Breena grabbed her arm as she started to fall over, laughing as the doctor landed on top of her.

"I hope you don't think I'm going to cook." Glinda pointed at herself.

"Why not?" Elphaba's eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

"Because that's what cooks are for." She said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Elphaba pursed her lips. "I see."

"I mean, if everyone could fix their own food, all those poor cooks would be out of a job."

"That would be horrible."

"It would." Glinda didn't notice her scooting closer. "That's some people's livelihood."

"And who are we to take away their livelihood?" Elphaba didn't stop until she was mere inches away from the blonde's face.

"Exactly." Glinda frowned. "What are you doing?"

"This." Elphaba pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Oh." Glinda grinned before grabbing her for a steamier liplock.

"Look at them." Breena shook her head.

"You're just jealous." Addena, who was still on top of the witch, moved in for a kiss of her own. "Let me see if I can help you with that."

Several minutes later Glinda snuggled into Elphaba's side. "Today has been perfect."

"Just what the doctor ordered."

Breena chuckled at her sister's response. "No pun intended, right Elly?"

Addena lifted her head from cuddling Breena to look at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You don't remember trying to browbeat Yackle into leaving us alone when she came upstairs this morning?" Breena kept laughing. "Elly and I were taking bets on how long it would take you to rip her head off."

"You were not." Addena punched her on the shoulder.

"Could you blame her if she did?" Glinda pouted as she tried to get even closer to her Elphie. "Being in the same house as you but not spending time together is hard."

"I know." Elphaba tightened her grip on the blonde. "We'll talk to Yackle when we get back to the house."

"Maybe we won't have to."

Addena furrowed her brow. "You keep saying things that don't make sense, Bree."

"Sure it does." Elphaba grinned. "Our message is from Father."

Glinda looked as confused as her sister. "So?"

"He was planning some talks with the Animal leaders of the underbelly when we left." Breena supplied an answer. "Talks he very much wants us there for."

"And an invitation from the Wizard outweighs lessons with Yackle." Elphaba piped in.

"Who knows how long the talks could take." Breena shrugged. "We could be gone for a while."

Elphaba waggled her eyebrows. "You can bet we'll have plenty of alone time at the palace. Remember what he arranged for us last time?"

The Thropps smiled at each other.

Addena glanced at her sister. "Are they freaking you out just a little bit?"

Breena gave her a squeeze. "Now who's being a brat?"

"Are you saying you're going to the Emerald City?" Glinda waited for Elphaba to nod. "And we get to go with you?" Elphaba kept nodding. "But Yackle has to stay here?"

"Now she's got it." Breena confirmed.

"Yea!" Glinda gave Elphie a kiss on the cheek before springing to her feet. "Well don't just lay there, get up." She grabbed the green envelope, shoving it at a struggling to sit up Elphaba. "Open your letter." She wiggled expectantly. "Hurry!"

"OK, OK." Elphaba chuckled as she accepted the envelope.

"You should open yours too." Breena smirked. "Maybe we'll have to make a side trip to the Uplands on our way back. Hey." She rubbed Addy's back when she felt her tense. "Are you all right?"

"Peachy." Addena pulled out of her arms to climb to her feet.

"Here you go." Glinda handed her their message, waiting at least half a second before motioning for her to hurry up too. "Don't you want to see what Popsicle wrote?"

Addena mumbled, "Not really," under her breath.

Glinda wrinkled her nose. "What?"

"Can I see you over there for a second?" Addena gripped her sister's arm, frogmarching her away from Breena and Elphaba, who seemed oblivious to anything but the letter they were reading. Once they were alone she waved the still sealed envelope in Glinda's face. "Don't you know what this is?"

"A note from our parents?"

"No Linny, it's a summons." Addena growled when her sister still looked clueless. "Do you know what two days from today is?"

Glinda thought about it for a second. "Saturday?"

"My birthday, Linny. My twenty-fourth birthday."

"Oh." Glinda put her hand over her mouth. "I can't believe I forgot. I'll..." Her eyes suddenly got big. "Oh!"

"Yeah, oh."

"Maybe you're wrong. Maybe..."

"Maybe Morrible was someone's fairy godmother. We both know what this is." Addena gestured with the envelope again.

"Then we'll just ignore it."

"And never go home again? We can't do that."

"Then we'll..." Glinda scrambled for a more suitable solution. "We'll talk to him. Daddy's not an unreasonable man."

Addena chortled. "Maybe not with you."

"What do you mean?"

"My relationship with him is completely different from yours."

"No it's not. He's..."

Addena put her finger over her sister's lips to keep her from saying more. "You've always been his favorite, Linny. I got over that a long time ago. If it was you, he would listen. But it's me. Even if we took your original idea a step further and changed our names and learned to glamour ourselves into men from Bree, he would still find me." She sighed. "It's my obligation." She shook her head. "I bet he even worded it that way in the message."

Glinda slipped the envelope out of her sister's hand, her own shaking ever so slightly as she opened it and pulled free the paper it contained.

"Go ahead." Addena gestured with her hand. "Read it."

"Addena." The smaller blonde swallowed hard. "It's time for you to fulfill your obligation. Come home immediately and bring Glinda. Just the two of you."

"Is that it?"

Glinda nodded numbly. "Yes."

"Well at least he didn't disappoint." Addena pinched the bridge of her nose. "What am I going to do?"

"You're going to tell Breena."

"What?!" She realized how loud that had been and looked at the witches to make sure they weren't going to react before turning back to her sister. "Have you completely lost it?!"

"Think about it, Dena. Keeping things from her hasn't exactly worked for you up until now. Can you imagine what would happen if she found out about this on her own?"

"Yes, and that's exactly why I'm not going to tell her."

"But..."

"We'll just go home and I'll tell Father the way it is. What's the worst he could do?"

"Dena..."

"But you have to come with me, Linny. I don't think I'll have the nerve to stand up to Father if you're not there."

"Of course I'll come Dena, but..."

"Oh, here they come." Addena moved in closer to her sister, keeping her voice low. "We have to go home right away because..." She clinched her fist. "Because Mother isn't feeling well. Nothing serious, just a cold that Father wants me to check out. And you're going too because... well because it's Mom and you want to make sure she's all right."

Glinda's jaw nearly hit the ground. "We can't lie to them Dena."

"Then you come up with a reason why we're going to be heading to the Uplands while they go to see The Wizard. Because this time it's not Yackle keeping us apart, it's Father."

"I..." Her heart hammered in her chest as Breena and Elphaba got closer. "Fine. But if this blows up in our faces you're taking full responsibility."

"Deal." Addena plastered on a fake smile when Bree came to stand beside her. "So, were you right?"

"Yes we were." Elphaba slung her arm around Glinda's shoulders.

"He almost cut it too short." Breena slipped her hand into Addena's. "We'll have to leave tomorrow if we want to get to the palace in time for the start of the talks."

"That soon?" Glinda pouted.

Elphaba looked down at her. "I thought you'd be happy to be away from Yackle so quickly."

"She would be, it's just..." It was Addena's turn to swallow hard. "We can't go."

"Excuse me." Breena turned to look at her better. "Did you just say you can't go?"

"Yes. Mother's sick and Father wants me to come home to check on her." Addena shot her sister a look as she leaned against Elphaba, still pouting.

Glinda finally caught on. "It's Momsie. I have to go too."

"This stinks." Elphaba frowned.

"Is your mother really sick?"

Addena was taken aback by Breena's question. "What?"

"Is she sick or did your father ask you to come home and you're too ashamed to take us?"

"Bree!" Elphaba looked at her in disbelief.

"Breena Thropp." Addena had an actual spark of anger amongst the myriad of guilt she was feeling. "Of course that's not it! How could you think we're ashamed of you?!"

"I don't know. I just..." Breena sighed. "I'm sorry."

"We are too." Addena gave her hand a squeeze. "How long will the talks last?"

"Father wasn't sure." Elphaba fielded the question.

"Then maybe we'll be able to meet you in the Emerald City."

"Maybe." Glinda mumbled as she leaned closer into Elphie.

"I'm sure Mother just has a cold." Addena shot her a warning look. "Father's just overprotective."

"It's better to be safe than sorry." Breena sighed. "I think we should get dressed and head back to the house. We all need to pack."

Elphaba nodded. "I'll get the clothes."

Breena was quick to say, "I'll help."

Glinda waited until they were out of earshot to turn to her sister. "I don't like this Dena."

"I know Linny." Addena sighed. "Me either."

She hated to see the dejected set of Breena's shoulders but what was she supposed to do? She couldn't tell her the truth. It would crush her.

Bree could never know she had a fiance.


	6. Chapter 6

"I'm glad you talked us into using the mirror spell to go home."

Elphaba chuckled. "If I remember correctly it didn't take a whole lot of arm twisting to get you to agree."

Glinda cuddled closer against her. "You could catapult me to the Uplands if it means I get to spend even one more minute with you."

"That's sweet." Elphaba rubbed the blonde's bare back. "Slightly disturbing imagery wise but sweet."

"I'm serious Elphie." She sighed. "I don't want to leave you."

"You're not leaving me. You're going home to check on your mother. Family has always been very important to you."

"And it still is. But you're my family too." Glinda propped herself up on one elbow to stare into those seemingly bottomless whiskey colored eyes. "I can't get enough of you."

The corner of Elphaba's mouth turned up as a dainty hand ran through her raven tresses. "But we both know we can't spend every waking moment together."

"We could try."

"Or we can make the most of the time we do spend with each other." Elphaba grabbed her, rolling her over so that she was on top. "I cherish every second."

"I love you too Elphie."

They let themselves get lost in making out for a few minutes before Elphaba finally pulled back. "We can't do that again. You're supposed to be packing."

"Getting in a quickie with you was a much better use of my time." Glinda giggled as she stroked a suddenly darker green cheek. "Embarrassing you is fun."

"Glad I could you amuse you." Elphaba gave her another lingering kiss. "We better get dressed."

Glinda ran her hand up her lover's side seductively. "Are you sure you don't want to rethink that?"

Elphaba grinned. "There's nothing I'd rather do than stay right here with you."

"Then do it." Glinda's hand moved to a green breast.

"I…" Elphaba somehow managed not to shiver at her touch. "I don't think your parents would appreciate me sending you home wrapped in nothing by a sheet."

"It might start a fashion trend."

"Linny."

"What?" She tried her best to look innocent. "It could." She sighed when Elphie still didn't smile. "Oh all right."

"Don't pout my love." Elphaba gave her a playful pat on the butt. "We'll pick up where we left off when you come to the palace."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Elphaba quirked an eyebrow and grinned. "Only then it will be my turn to rip your clothes off when you least expect it."

Glinda giggled again. "You've got yourself a deal."

Things weren't going nearly as well in Breena's room. The witch was leaning on the wall next to the closet, her eyes never leaving the doctor as she packed. For her part Addena was trying her best not to look at her. One glance into those gorgeous green orbs would be all it took for her to spill her guts about why she was going home. But she couldn't do that. She couldn't hurt Bree again. If she did her fear of losing her could very well come true. And she would rather face the silence between them than imagine her life without Breena in it.

She concentrated on the shirt in her hands, willing herself not to break down. Now was neither the time nor place. She could have a good cry later.

"You're taking everything?"

Addena looked up when she heard Breena's voice. "What?"

"You're taking everything." It was a statement this time as Breena followed her over to the bed. "Like you're not coming back or something."

She mentally kicked herself when she realized Bree was right. She had packed everything she picked up on her numerous shopping trips to Munchkin Proper with Glinda.

"You _are_ coming back, right?"

The question caught her off guard. How could Bree even ask something like that? Then again, what else was she supposed to think? She'd been avoiding her like the plague ever since she read the message from her father. She was pushing her away by trying to keep her safe.

"Of course I am."

Breena visibly relaxed when she finally spoke. "Sorry. That was a stupid thing to ask."

"No." Addena didn't want her shouldering the blame for how she was acting.

"Yes." Breena contradicted her. "Here you are worrying about your mother and I'm too busy throwing a temper tantrum about you leaving to ask if you're all right." She shook her head and sighed. "Some girlfriend I am."

"You're not throwing a temper tantrum." Addena grabbed her hands, relishing the small jolt of excitement that always coursed through her when she touched Bree. "And you're a great girlfriend." She hated herself for the maelstrom of conflict she saw in those eyes when she finally risked a look. "I, on the other hand, sometimes get so wrapped up in what I'm doing that I forget other people exist." She pulled the witch to her, loving the way her arms fit perfectly around her slim waist. "I'm sorry I haven't said much."

"You don't have anything to apologize for. I can tell you're worried about what you're going to find when you get home."

A voice in the back of Addena's head said, "You don't know the half of it."

"But everything's going to be all right." Breena pulled her even closer, resting her cheek on top of Addy's head.

"I hope so," slipped out before Addena could stop it. She was quick to pull back a little to look at Bree. "I mean, I know you're right. I'm just worried."

"Let me see if I can help you with that."

What started out as a sweet, tender caress turned into much more when Addena deepened their kiss. She couldn't have the woman doubting her feelings for her. Not when she was about to face who knew what with her father.

"Whoa." Breena gave her a lopsided grin when they parted. "You keep that up and I'm going to send you packing more often."

Addena chuckled in spite of herself. "Oh really?"

"Yep." Breena kept one arm around the doctor and used the other to pull some of her clothes out of the suitcase. "But to do that you'll have to leave some of these here." She tightened her grip when Addena tried to pull away. "Oh no you don't."

"But…"

"I'll need something to do beside mope after you leave."

Addena shook her head as she looked at her. "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"Do you mean that in a good way or a bad way?" Breena smiled when Addy slapped her on the arm.

"It's a damn good thing brat."

"Then I guess you're lucky I love you too Doc."

Addena closed the gap between them, her heart hammering in her chest. She couldn't do it. She was just going to ignore the message from her father and stay right where she was. What was the worst that could happen?

Her fiancé could show up, that's what.

The thought had her ending the kiss sooner than she wanted to. "We better go."

"I know." Breena leaned her forehead against Addy's. "Can I say I'll miss you here instead of when we get to Elly's room? Glinda will be enough of a mushball without me adding to it."

She wanted to laugh at the comment but thinking of her sister tempered her reaction. Poor Linny was caught in the crossfire just as much as Bree.

"I really will miss you."

The words tore at Addena's heart. "You won't have the chance." She let herself curl against the witch's chest. "I'll be back before you know it." This was quickly becoming her favorite spot. Close enough to feel her love's heartbeat as those strong arms held her.

"OK." Breena was the one to break their embrace, moving in one fluid motion to shut the suitcase and pick it up. "Let's go before I change my mind and refuse to let you go."

Addena wished it was that simple as Breena took her hand and led her downstairs. Maybe Linny was right. Maybe she should just put all her cards on the table and take her chances with how Breena would react. But what if it backfired? What if Breena got furious and told her she never wanted to see her again? She really didn't care if that happened with her father. It wasn't like they had ever been close anyway. But she couldn't lose Bree.

"Are you decent in there?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin as Bree called out and knocked on Elphaba's door.

"Just a minute." Glinda sing-songed.

Breena grinned. "I bet I know what they were doing."

Addena offered her a weak smile, her words barely registering.

"Hi." Elphaba was slightly out of breath as she opened the door. "Sorry about that. We were…"

"Packing." Glinda finished for her when her voice trailed off.

"Right." Elphaba nodded. "Packing."

"I think you missed a hickey." Breena indicated her sister's neck with a nod of her head. "Or did you mean to leave that out of your suitcase?"

Glinda sheepishly pursed her lips when she saw the clearly visible mark on her lover's neck. "Sorry Elphie."

Breena leaned in close to her sister as she and Addy walked by. "And your shirt is buttoned crooked."

Elphaba sighed as she looked down at her off kilter top.

"Are you ready?" Addena finally found her voice.

"I guess so." Glinda pouted as Elphaba rejoined her by the bed.

"I told you not to do that." Elphaba pulled her into her arms. "I'll see you in no time."

Glinda answered by kissing her.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye." Breena turned to look at Addena. "I…"

"Don't say it." Addena cut her off, not knowing how much more she could take. "Elphaba's right. We'll be at the palace in no time."

Breena nodded before pulling her closer for a kiss. She frowned when she felt Addena's desperation in the liplock. She was about to say something when Glinda walked over to them, tears swimming in her eyes.

"Let's go."

Addena gave Bree's hand on last squeeze before letting go and taking her suitcase. "Thanks. This will be a lot quicker than traveling by carriage."

"Don't mention it." Elphaba gave Glinda a sad look.

"Oh just say the chant already so they can leave."

They all four jumped when they heard Yackle's voice coming from the open doorway.

"What?" The crone frowned. "If they leave now we'll have time for a quick lesson before you two have to go to the palace."

"Oh joy." Breena mumbled.

"Don't let go of each other." Elphaba moved to Breena's side. "And have a nice visit with your parents."

"Thanks Linny." Addena gripped her sister's hand as the witches started the all too familiar chant. "You don't know how much I appreciate this."

Glinda growled, "I love you Dena. I really do. But I'm not in the mood to talk to you right now." She led the way into the mirror.

Addena would never get used to the feeling of absolute nothingness that washed over her as they passed through the surface of the mirror. She knew from experience that it only lasted a split second but it felt like an eternity. Before she knew it they were in her old room at the manor.

"I thought this would be easier in case they're repairing my room." Glinda explained as she let go of her sister's hand. "Go find Popsicle and get this whole mess cleared up. I'm going to find Momsie and have a good pout."

"OK."

Glinda started toward the door but stopped when she heard her sister's barely audible reply. "Dena?"

"Hmmm?" She looked up when she felt her sister staring at her. "Sorry. Did you say something else?"

"Are you all right?"

"Me? Yeah. Of course I'm all right." Addena swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions under control. "I mean, I only made us both lie to the women we love to get here so I can tell our father off about something that Breena can never know about because if she did she might walk away and never look back."

Glinda pulled her into a hug. "Breathe sweetie."

"I don't want to breathe." She choked more than spoke as she finally gave in to her tears. "I want to be with Bree."

"I know." Glinda rubbed her back. "And you will be. Just keep telling yourself that and everything will be fine."

Addena let her sister hold her for a few more minutes until she started to regain her composure. "I hate crying," she huffed as she pulled out of Glinda's arms.

"You always have." Glinda wiped some of the tears from her cheeks.

"Thanks Linny."

"For what?"

"Letting me blubber all over you. Coming here." Addena shrugged. "Being you."

Glinda grinned. "Who else would I be?"

The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "You knew what I meant."

"Yes, and you've done the same thing for me too many times to count. So don't thank me. Just chalk it up as something sisters do for each other." She put her hand on Addena's arm. "Do you want me to come with you to find Dad?"

"No." Addena covered her sister's hand with her own. "You stick to your plan of finding Mom and pouting. I'll handle Father on my own."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." Addena gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'll find you once I'm done."

Glinda looked at her sister approvingly, glad to see the spunk back in her eyes. "I'll be with Mother."

Addena gave her a smile before heading out the door. It was amazing what a mini breakdown could do for a girl. Glinda was right. She could feel it in her heart that she was going to be with Breena. And nothing her father or anyone else did could change that.

Her new attitude had her making her striding through the manor with purpose. The house may have been huge but she knew just where to find her father. His study. It was where he spent all his time when he wasn't off playing businessman somewhere. The thought of going anywhere near that room used to scare the crap out of her when she was little. Her father always seemed so angry when she interrupted him. But he would just have to get over it today because…

She came to a screeching halt in front of the huge picture windows looking out on the gardens. There were what looked to be at least a dozen men working on an ornate gazebo she had never seen before. And there were at least a half dozen more putting out enough folding chairs to seat half of the Uplands. It reminded her of the preparations for the Wizard's speech in the Emerald City. Only they weren't setting up for a speech, they were getting everything ready for a wedding.

Her blood boiled as she stormed the rest of the way to the study, throwing the door open without bothering to knock.

"Addena!" Maximillian Upland jumped to his feet as his daughter came barreling into the room. "How did you…" He looked at her like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "What are you doing here?"

"Your note said to come home right away, so here I am." She let her anger flow, knowing if she actually stopped to think about what she was doing she would lose her nerve.

"I didn't expect you so soon."

Addena didn't notice the way her father kept glancing nervously at one of the chairs facing his desk. "What's going on in the gardens?"

"Uh…" Max stammered. "Why don't we go for a walk and I'll explain everything."

She frowned as her father started around the desk. "A walk?"

"Yes." He emphasized the word as he continued toward her. "That way we can…"

"How about if we just stay right here and you tell me what the hell's going on instead."

"Language Addena!"

"I'm too old to be scolded Father."

"I won't have you…"

"Won't have me what? Saying what's on my mind?" Addena raised her eyebrows. "I've got news for you Father. I'm not the same little pushover I was when I left for college. And if you think for one second that I'm going to go through with this preposterous proposal, you're wrong."

"Addena, this was all arranged…"

"Without my consent." She cut him off. "You can't buy and sell me like some business deal Dad. I'm not a commodity, I'm your daughter. And I'm telling you I'm not going through with this."

"But…"

"I've never even met whoever it is I'm supposed to be marrying!"

A figure chose that moment to unfold itself from the chair her father had been paying so much attention to. A tall, very muscular, extremely masculine figure.

"Allow me to introduce myself." He grimaced more than smirked as he looked at Addena. "My name is Eadlyn Merrick. I'm your fiancé."

"My…" Addena frowned at him before glaring at her father. "He's here?!"

"I… He…"

"Spit it out Dad!"

"Temper, temper." Eadlyn shook his head. "You really should learn to keep a shorter leash on your women Max."

Addena clinched her jaw. "Leash?" She glared at her father again. "Nice to see you picked such a charmer for me."

"You're a real spitfire, aren't you? Most people are too intimidated by me to say much of anything in my presence."

"Yeah, well I'm not most people."

The newcomer smiled. "Pay attention, Max. Handling someone like her is like handling a tricky business deal. You have to have an ace in the hole to win them over."

"What are you talking about?" Addena looked at him like he was crazy. "You don't stand a chance in hell of winning me over."

"Ah ah." He wagged his finger at her. "You don't even know what I have to offer."

"I know it's nothing I want."

"Addena…"

"Stay out of this Dad. It's between my fiancé and I." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

Eadlyn's smile stayed in place. "I'm going to have fun breaking you."

Addena narrowed her eyes at him. "I'd like to see you try."

"And you will." He took a step toward her.

Max moved to intercept him. "Now wait just a minute."

"She's right. Your part in this is through." Eadlyn dismissed him without even looking at him. "It is between her and me now. And I'm about to win."

Addena snorted. "I'm glad you think so."

"I don't think, I know." He continued toward her, shoving Max out of his way as he did. "You see, I have the best bargaining chip in all of Oz." He kept coming until he was towered over her. "Something you can't live without."

"The something you're referring to is something I've never been interested in." Addena challenged him. "But go ahead. Win me over big guy."

"You mean you're not interested in your mother?"

Addena's blood ran cold. "My mother?"

"That's my ace in the hole." Eadlyn's smile took on a wolf like quality. "I've got her and she's safe enough for now." He made a show of inspecting the fingernails of his right hand. "But if you don't go along with this wedding..."

"You'll what?" Addena swallowed hard.

"I'll kill her."

"What?!" Max was obviously shocked. "You didn't…"

"I already told you, your part in this is done. You got her here." Eadlyn ran his finger down Addena's cheek. "And I just know she'll be a good little girl and save her mommy." He let his words sink in before speaking again. "I'll leave you two to talk." He stopped beside Addena on his way out, leaning in close to say, "Your aggression is quite a turn on," before walking away.

A stunned Addena watched him go, wondering how she was supposed to get herself out of this one.


	7. Chapter 7

Once upon a time the tapping of her shoes on the marble floor would have made her day. There was just something about the way the sound echoed around the main hall. That and she felt very grown up, making so much noise simply by walking. It got to the point that her father passed a rule about wearing shoes in the house. Not that it was ever really enforced considering he was always away on business. Sometimes Addena and their mother would join her, the three of them laughing as they stomped around. Normally such fond memories would have had her smiling, but not today. No, today the cadence barely registered as she worriedly made her way from one end of the house to the other.

Glinda couldn't find her mother. She wasn't in her room unpacking. She wasn't in the kitchen helping the cooks. She wasn't tending to her beloved gardens. And she wasn't curled up with a good book in the library. It was almost as if she wasn't home at all.

That's why she was on her way to her father's study. Hopefully he would know where to find her. If not maybe she could pull Dena away to help her look. She felt kind of childish, freaking out over not finding her mother right away, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Gregor!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice call out. It was one she'd never heard before. And who was Gregor?

"I'm here."

She jumped again when a new voice answered. Her eyes got big as a mountain of a man pushed himself out of one of the chairs in the entryway. She didn't know what possessed her but she quickly scrambled to hide behind one of the floor length curtains at the window as another, taller man emerged from the hallway leading to her father's study.

"How are things?"

"Fine. Just like they were the last three hundred times you asked." The burly man chuckled. "Relax Eadlyn. Now tell me, how did things go with your fiancée?"

Glinda barely stopped herself from gasping. Could the tall one be Addena's fiancé? She mentally kicked herself. Of _course_ he was her fiancé. Who else would be getting married here? She should have known Dena was right when she said their message was actually a summons. How could their father spring something like this on her sister?

"She's fiery Gregor."

She carefully peaked around the curtain, wanting to get a better look at him. She preferred tall, skinny and green to tall, dark and handsome but there were probably plenty of other girls out there who would have swooned over him. Thank goodness Addena wasn't one of them.

"It's going to fun showing her who's the boss."

Glinda gripped the curtain, barely resisting the urge to defend her sister.

"A real firecracker huh?" Gregor grinned.

"Oh yeah." Eadlyn nodded. "I bet she's great in bed."

Gregor laughed. "You'll find out soon enough."

"In two nights, my man." Eadlyn clapped him on the shoulder. "If you're lucky maybe I'll let you watch. Or better yet, join in."

"You've never been one to share." Gregor poo pooed his idea. "Come on. Let's go raid the kitchen."

Glinda's stomach turned as they walked away. Their father couldn't know what he was like. Otherwise he would never dream of letting him anywhere near Dena. But he was about to find out.

She made sure the two of them were long gone before running toward her father's study, determined to warn her sister.

Addena waited almost a full minute after Eadlyn left to turn back to her father. "Does he really have Mom?"

"Yes. His men dragged her out of here yesterday."

"That's just great."

"I… Addena…" Maximillan shook his head in disbelief. "I had no idea he…"

She silenced him by raising her hand. "I need a minute." She sank onto the couch just inside the door, leaning forward to cradle her head in her hands.

"I didn't mean for this to happen." He paced as he rambled. "I just… I needed an in with his father. The Merricks have dominated the business industry in Winkie Country for as long as anyone can remember and the firm was after me to get their business. So I…"

"Sold me off like a piece of meat?"

"No." He sounded offended. "I simply offered…"

"For me to marry their son before I could even walk?"

"Addena…"

"Don't even try to justify this to me!" She finally looked up, her face a mask of rage. "I've had the prospect of marrying a man I didn't know and certainly didn't want hanging over my head my whole life. And every time I tried to talk to you about it you would give me the proverbial pat on the head and tell me not to worry."

"That's because I never thought it would actually happen."

"Really? Is that why I had to jump through hoops to be allowed to go to medical school?" Addena countered. "Or had you forgotten the three day siege of Winkie lawyers we had to endure before you got them to agree to wait until I was twenty-four so I could have a chance to graduate?"

"Of course not. But after Eadlyn's father died during your first year I assumed the deal would be off. I mean, he never showed an interest in marrying you."

"See what you get for assuming."

Max closed his eyes. "I…"

"You what Dad?" Addena goaded him when his voice trailed off.

He hung his head. "I made a mistake."

"This goes so far beyond a measly mistake it's not even funny." Addena shook her head. "And now Mom and I are the ones who are going to pay for it."

"Mom?"

They both looked up when they heard Glinda's voice.

"What's Mom going to pay for?" The petite blonde put her hands on her hips. "Is one of you going to answer me?"

"Glinda." Max finally found his voice, a small smile gracing his features as he looked at his youngest daughter. "You're as beautiful as ever."

"Dena?" She ignored his comment, knowing her sister was more likely to tell her the truth.

Addena sighed. "The less you know the better."

"I already know you're fiancé is here. I overheard him saying disgusting things to what I'm going to assume is one of his friends. And I've looked everywhere for Mother and can't find her. So just tell me what's going on."

Max locked eyes with Addena, shaking his head. "Don't."

"She has a right to know."

"But..."

"What's the matter? Afraid the pedestal she's always had you on will crumble?"

"That's not fair!" His temper flared.

"Fair? You're going to tell me what's not fair?!" Addena chuckled humorlessly. "You have some nerve."

Max pointed at her. "Don't you dare speak to me like that! I'm still your father!"

"More like my pimp."

"Stop it!" Glinda looked back and forth between them. "Dena, please. Tell me what's going on."

"You said you saw Eadlyn?" Addena tucked her hair behind her ear as her sister nodded. "He's a peach, isn't he?"

Glinda shivered, remembering what she overheard. "He's horrible. You can't let him anywhere near Dena, Daddy."

Addena chuckled again. "He's the one who ordered me home to marry him."

"Daddy?" Glinda looked beseechingly at their father.

"The puppy dog eyes won't work this time, Linny. If my guess is correct we weren't supposed to get here until the day after tomorrow. Just in time for me to be whisked away for my ceremony and you to be my maid of honor."

Glinda continued to stare at their father. "Is that true?"

"But only after Eadlyn's men took Mother." Addena didn't give him a chance to answer.

"They have mother?!" Glinda sank down onto the couch next to her sister.

"She told Eadlyn in no uncertain terms that Addena wouldn't marry him and ordered him to leave the house." Max wiped his hand over his face. "He laughed at her and had her taken away by a couple of his men."

"He brought an entourage?" Addena pinched the bridge of her nose when her father nodded. "Great."

"Then call the police." Glinda gripped her sister's arm. "Better yet we'll have Elphie and Breena send for the Gale Force. They can arrest Eadlyn and make him release Mom."

"That won't work." Max growled.

"Why not? They'll..."

Addena interrupted her. "I can't believe I'm about to say this, but he's right, Linny."

Glinda frowned at her sister. "What?"

"We don't know where he has her." Addena tried to reason with her. "And he's threatening to kill her if I don't go through with the ceremony."

"He's... He's going to..." Tears swam in Glinda's eyes. "By the Unnamed God."

"No he's not."

Max furrowed his brow. "What?"

"I said no he's not." Addena raised her voice. "I can't let him hurt Mother."

"Dena?" Glinda tightened her grip on her sister's arm.

"I'm getting married." Her voice broke as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm getting married."

Glinda gathered her in her arms, rocking her as she ran her fingers through her hair. All Max could do was look away, not wanting to intrude.

"Go ahead Elphaba."

She ignored Yackle's words, concentrating on the object on the table instead.

"You can do it."

Maeve's remark didn't have any more of an effect.

"Sometime this year would be preferable to next."

"Aunt Yackle!"

"What? Nothing's going to happen if she just keeps standing there. Breena didn't take this long when she did it."

"Well Elphaba's not Breena. Maybe she needs a minute."

"We don't have a minute. They're going to have to leave for the palace soon!"

"Don't pay any attention to them." Breena's voice filled her senses. "Just concentrate."

"But what if it doesn't work?" Elphaba finally tore her eyes away from the table to look at her sister.

"It's a vase of flowers Elly." Breena leaned in close to her, pointing at the object in question. "If it doesn't work it's no big deal." She raised an eyebrow when her sister opened her mouth to speak again. "Just try the spell."

Maeve smiled as she watched them. "They're so good together."

"They should be. They're cut from the same cloth." Yackle was watching them too. "I just wish Elphaba wasn't so hesitant to use her magic."

"Cut her some slack. She's trying to adjust to a new spell."

"No, she's fighting it again." Yackle contradicted her. "You're going to have to learn to tell the difference."

"Me?" Maeve furrowed her brow.

"Yes you if you hope to take over for me someday." The old woman finally looked at her. "She shouldn't need to be persuaded to try the spell. Her hesitation could get them killed."

"By a vase of flowers?"

"No, by someone like Morrible."

"But she's..."

"Don't honestly tell me you think she's the only challenge they're ever going to face." Yackle's voice dripped with disbelief. "This land is in a state of transition and they're the ones we need to see us through. They might not be there to talk each other through whatever crisis they're having. Then what would happen?"

"I..." Maeve shook her head. "I don't know."

"Neither do I." Yackle admitted. "That's why this has got to stop happening. Why I've been pushing them so hard lately. Breena's too much of loose cannon and needs some of Elphaba's modesty and Elphaba is too cautious and needs a dose of Breena's confidence."

"Could you maybe lighten up a little?" Breena glanced at them. "It's no wonder she's so nervous with the two of you standing there looking at her like the fate of the world rests on her shoulders."

Yackle growled, "Maybe someday it will."

Breena frowned at her. "Well that day's not today, is it?"

"Bree." Elphaba put her hand on her sister's arm. "She's right. I should just try this so we can get going."

"See." Yackle gloated. "At least one of you listens."

Brenna ignored her. "Concentrate Elly. That's the key."

"Right. Concentrate." Elphaba returned her attention to the vase, giving herself a moment to draw on the power flowing through her before saying, "Extorque."

They held their breath as the vase disappeared, only to reappear a moment later on the window ledge across the room.

"I did it." Elphaba looked amazed.

"Of course you did." Breena clapped her on the shoulder. "Now that you have we can…"

"Not so fast." Yackle interrupted her. "She needs to put it back on the table."

"Aunt Yackle." Maeve tried to intervene.

"Practice makes perfect. She needs to bring it back. Breena did." The old woman stuck to her guns.

"But..."

"It's all right Maeve." Breena reassured her. "I've got this Elly." She shot a look at Yackle. "Extorque."

The vase stayed where it was but the water and flowers disappeared, reappearing over Yackle's head for a split second before drenching her.

"Oops." Breena shrugged. "I guess I didn't take my own advice and concentrate."

"Show off." Yackle used her hand to try to wipe some of the water from her face.

"Here, let me help." Maeve's shoulders shook with unreleased laughter as she pulled one of the flowers out of her aunt's hair.

"We'll leave you two to it then." Breena grabbed Elphaba's hand and pulled her out of the room before either of the other women could say anything.

"That was great." Elphaba chuckled as she let herself be led away.

"No, it was stupid." Breena corrected her. "I let my temper get the best of me again. I've got to stop doing that."

"It was only water Bree."

"But it could be something else next time."

"Hey." Elphaba tightened her grip on her sister's hand but it didn't slow her down. "Hey." She tried again, digging her heels in to bring them to a stop in the living room. "Bree?" She used her free hand to lift her sister's chin when she wouldn't look at her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"I know better. Now tell me what's wrong."

"I… I just…" Breena sighed. "It's nothing." She was quick to add a, "Really," when she saw the look Elphaba was giving her. "Let's just get our things and go to the palace." She started to walk away but stopped when she realized her sister hadn't moved. "Are you coming?"

Elphaba crossed her arms over her chest. "No."

Breena frowned. "What do you mean no?"

"I mean I'm not budging from this spot until you tell me what's going on in that head of yours. And don't you dare tell me nothing again." She cut her sister off before she could even open her mouth to speak. "I already let Glinda leave here upset and I'm not about to do the same thing with you. So we're not going anywhere until you spill."

"Spill?" The corner of Breena's mouth turned up. "You've been around Glinda too much."

"And don't try changing the subject either." Elphaba held her sister's gaze. "Talk to me, Bree. Please."

"It's noth…"

"I told you not to say that."

"But…" Breena sighed at the no nonsense expression on her sister's face. "I can't really explain it, Elly. It's just…" She gestured with her hands. "Something doesn't feel right."

Elphaba furrowed her brow. "Like what?"

"I don't know. Can we just go?"

"Bree."

"Addy was acting really strange before they left." Breena blurted it out. "And ever since I've had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something's not right."

Elphaba swallowed hard. "Are they in danger?"

"No. I don't know." Breena growled as she clinched her hands into fists. "This is why I didn't want to say anything. I knew it would upset you."

"OK, let's calm down." Elphaba finally moved, dragging her sister over to one of the couches so they could sit down. "Tell me what you're feeling."

"That's just it. I don't know." Breena clinched her jaw. "It's like I said, I have this nagging feeling, for lack of a better word, that there was more going on with Addy and Glinda then their mother being sick. But I can't tell if it's our magic trying to let me know that something's wrong or if it's just me reacting to the fact that Addena was acting strange and wouldn't talk to me."

Elphaba leaned against the back of the couch. "Wow."

"No, no wow." Breena shook her head. "It's just me being insecure again. I shouldn't even have told you."

"But…"

"You're the one who gets visions, Elly."

"That doesn't mean you can't sense things." Elphaba put her hand on her sister's arm. "I felt something from Glinda before they left too but I just assumed it was a combination of her being upset over leaving and worrying about her mother."

"Damn it." Breena ran her hand through her hair. "We can't ignore this."

"No we can't."

"What are we going to do?"

"I think we should make a pit stop on the way to the palace."

"You mean…"

Elphaba nodded. "We're going to the Uplands."


	8. Chapter 8

Sunlight streamed through the window, shepherding in a new day. Gone were any signs of the storm that ripped through the Uplands the night before. At least the physical storm anyway. The aftermath of the emotional storm was still alive and well in the form of Addena, who was curled in a ball on the bed.

Glinda still wasn't quite sure how she managed to get a shell shocked Addena from their father's study to her bedroom by herself, but she did. And now she was keeping watch over her sister as she slept.

Addena mumbled something under her breath as she rolled from her side to her back.

"Shhh." Glinda quickly moved back to the bed, crawling in next to her sister. "I've got you." She barely brushed her fingers against Addena's hair for fear of waking her up. Her slumber was fitful but at least she was getting some rest.

"Linny?"

"Yes sweetie?"

"I don't want to get married." A tear made its way down Addena's cheek.

"I know." The honesty in those words tore at Glinda's heart as she gathered her sister in her arms. "I know."

It took a good ten minutes to get Addena back to sleep. Glinda didn't say a word the whole time. She just held her sister close, letting her know she wasn't alone. If the shoe was on the other foot she would have wanted someone keeping up a steady stream of jabber about how everything would be all right. But not Dena. Empty words had never placated her sister. Besides, Glinda wouldn't have known what to say anyway. How did you try to soothe someone whose life had literally been turned upside down?

She still couldn't believe the mess their father had created. Up until last night it had been kind of hard to take Addena's engagement seriously. The thought of an arranged marriage in a society as advanced as theirs was ludicrous. She was convinced her sister could go to their parents, tell them there was no way she would go through with it and the whole thing would go away.

She couldn't have been more wrong if she tried.

Poor Dena. Glinda never really stopped to think about what it would be like to have something, or rather someone, like Eadlyn hanging over your head your whole life. She could remember her sister standing in front of the mirror in this very room when she was no more than ten, looking at herself in a white dress their mother had bought for her to wear to a classmate's birthday party. When she asked if that's what she would look like in her wedding gown Glinda giggled. Getting married seemed so exciting to her. She couldn't understood the lost look in her sister's eyes or the sadness in their mother's voice as she pulled Addena into a tight embrace, telling her everything would work out in the end.

But she understood now. And look at how things were working themselves out. Addena was an emotional wreck, their mother was being held who knew where until the wedding took place, their father wasn't doing a damn thing to fix their broken family and she was powerless to do anything about any of it.

Tears clouded her vision as she wished yet again that Elphie was there. Arduenna women were notoriously tough but even the strongest person needed someone to lean on. For a long time she didn't have anyone to fill that role. She and Addena grew apart when her big sister went off to medical school and she barely got a chance to get close to Elphaba before she went on the run for her life. Then Morrible made her move and not only did she get her sister and her lover back, she got Breena as an added bonus. Now she had three woman who would do anything for her. If only Bree or Elphie was there for her to turn to now.

She swallowed hard, trying to get a grip on her emotions. She couldn't break down. Dena needed her.

"Glinda?"

The sound of her father's voice made her look up. She'd been so lost in thought she didn't even hear the door open. "What do you want?"

Max tried but failed not to flinch at the iciness of her voice. "Are you all right?"

"Am I all right?" A humorless chuckle passed her lips as she furrowed her brow. "Dena is the one who cried all night and you're asking if _I'm_ all right?"

"I..." His adam's apple bobbed. "I know yesterday couldn't have been easy on you so I thought..."

"You'd come in here and rescue me?" Glinda glared at him. "Don't bother."

"Glinda..."

"And don't use that 'poor me' voice either. You're not the victim here."

"I never said I was."

"No, but you certainly act as if you are." Glinda shook her head. "Just go away."

Max frowned. "Now hold on a minute."

"I'm trying not to say something I might regret later."

"I'm still your father, Glinda and I..."

"What? Demand I show you the respect you deserve? After what you've done I think I am."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means the pedestal I've had you on for so long is gone."

"Pedestal?" Max's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"

Glinda rolled her eyes. "Playing dumb doesn't suit you."

"I'm not playing anything. And don't call me dumb!"

"Bree?" Addena groaned.

"It's all right Dena." Glinda tightened her grip on her sister, making sure she wasn't going to wake up completely before growling, "Keep your voice down," at their father.

"Me?" Max pointed at himself. "What about you? You were being just as loud as I was."

"You have an answer for everything don't you? Everything except how to keep my sister away from that monster."

"Eadlyn..."

"Don't you dare defend him!"

"I wasn't going to." Max sighed. "Glinda..."

"Don't. Just don't, all right? I can't deal with you right now."

"Deal with me? But..."

"But nothing."

Max leaned his head against the doorframe as he watched his youngest return her attention to Addena. "I didn't do this on purpose. It was supposed to be a means to an end and now..."

"Now you've ruined your daughter." Glinda finished for him. "I hope you're happy with yourself."

"Of course I'm not happy! Do you think I like seeing her in so much pain?!"

Glinda shrugged. "To be honest, I didn't think you felt much of anything for her."

Max was shocked. "How can you say that?"

"Because it's true!"

"Like hell it is! She's my daughter just as much as you."

"You might try acting like it sometime."

"It's not my fault she's always been closer to your mother."

"Maybe that's because Mom actually noticed she was around."

"I'll admit Addena and I have had more than our fair share of problems in the past, but no one is perfect Glinda. It took both of us to create the relationship we have."

"I used to think you were."

Max looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"Perfect." Glinda clarified. "I used to think you were perfect. I used to think that's what every little girl was supposed to feel about their father. No one ever could or did measure up to you in my eyes." She looked down at her sister lovingly. "But Dena never felt the same. I can't believe I never listened to her when she tried to explain why. I just assumed she was jealous of the bond we share." She finally look at her father. "Or should that be shared?"

"Don't say that Linny."

Glinda was shocked to see her sister's eyes were open.

"He's still our father." Addena pulled away from her sister to sit up. "And just because I don't particularly like him right now doesn't mean you have to feel the same way."

"Dena." Glinda moved with her sister, staying close as they sat on the edge of the bed. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"The truth please."

"I said I'm..." Addena's voice trailed off when she saw the concern in her sister's eyes. "I've been better. Is that what you want to hear?"

"No." Glinda tucked a piece of hair behind her sister's ear. "But I knew that's what you were going to say."

"I don't know if I like being that predictable." Addena gripped her sister's hand when her attempt at humor didn't go over so well. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

"You don't have anything to apologize for." Glinda assured her.

Max was quick add, "No you don't."

Glinda shot him a look. "No one asked you."

Addena sighed. "Linny..."

"Don't ask me not to be mad at him Dena because it's not going to happen."

"It's all right Addena." Max spoke before his eldest daughter could. "She has every right to be angry with me." He hung his head. "You both do."

"There you go again." Glinda pointed at him. "Trying to make yourself out to be the victim."

"I was doing no such thing." Max growled. "Politics has made you harsh."

Glinda narrowed his eyes. "It's better than being a sneaky, underhanded..."

"Enough!" Addena looked back and forth between them. "Glinda, I appreciate what you're trying to do but I really don't have the energy to listen to the two of you argue right now."

"I'm sorry Dena. I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't." Addena tightened her grip on Glinda's hand. "At least not any more than I already was. But if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be alone."

"What?" Glinda was shocked.

"I just... I need some time to myself right now."

"Of course you do." Max agreed.

"No she doesn't." Glinda contradicted him. "No you don't." She turned back to her sister. "What you need to do is come up with a plan."

Addena wrinkled her brow. "I thought I already had."

"You call marrying Eadlyn to save Mom a plan?" Glinda rolled her eyes when Addena nodded. "Well it's not. It's more of a solution. What about after the wedding? What are you going to do then?" She paused, knowing the next question would either make her sister mad enough to slap her or have her in a ball on the bed again. But it just might make her stop and listen too. "What about Breena?"

Max frowned again. "Who's Breena?"

"I..." Addena licked her lips. "I've been trying not to think about her."

"That's not fair. To her or you."

"Who's Breena?" Max repeated his question.

"I know." Addena didn't seem to hear him. "But it's so much easier than thinking about what might happen." She gestured helplessly with her hand. "I don't want to lose her Linny."

"Who?" Max tried again.

"And you won't." Glinda ignored his question, asking one of her own instead. "What time is the ceremony supposed to happen tomorrow?"

"What? Oh." He shook his head as if he were coming out of a fog. "Three."

"Perfect." Glinda clasped her hands in front of her. "We'll send a message to the Wizard. He can arrange for a battalion of guards to come here and find a way to keep Elphie and Breena busy until everything blows over. The guards can be here well before the ceremony if they ride all night."

Addena pondered her sister's words for a second. "What are the guards supposed to do exactly?"

"Intimidate Eadlyn and his men?" Max added his two cents worth, hoping to become part of the conversation.

"No." Glinda sighed. "Having the guards arrest Eadlyn before the wedding won't work because we have no idea where Mother is right?"

"Right." Addena nodded.

"Then we keep the guards in hiding during the ceremony. Once it's over you tell Eadlyn you kept your end of the deal and demand that he release Mother. When we know she's safe we have the guards arrest Eadlyn and his men and get one of Dad's magistrate friends annul the marriage. We get Mother back and rid of him at the same time."

Addena opened her mouth to answer but another voice cut in before she could.

"Bravo." Eadlyn clapped as he stepped into the doorway next to Max, startling the older man. "Don't you just hate when the good guys come up with a plan that just might work only to have the bad guy overhear the whole thing?"

"I... Uh..." Max stammered.

Eadlyn switched his focus to the girls. "Who's this Addena?" He eyed Glinda appreciatively. "The brains of the family?"

"You stay away from her." Addena sprang off the bed, putting herself between her sister and her fiancé.

"Or what?" Eadlyn smiled. "Hi." He extended his hand as he took a step into the room. "I'm Eadlyn."

Glinda leered at him. "And I should care because?"

"Oh I like you." He gave her another once over. "We could have some fun."

Addena shoved him. "Stop looking at her!"

Eadlyn smiled again. "I'll hand it to you Max, your woman here in the Uplands have spunk."

"Leave them alone." Max finally found his voice.

"But what fun would that be?" Eadlyn asked. "If I hadn't decided to come see what my lovely bride to be was doing I wouldn't have overheard you talking." He looked at Glinda. "Good plan by the way. It just might have worked if I hadn't been eavesdropping."

"Shut up and go away," Addena hissed.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, I have to make you understand what's going to happen tomorrow." Eadlyn walked in a circle around Addena. "You and I are going to be married. And you're going to be so convincing that no one will ever be the wiser that anything is wrong. Immediately after the ceremony we'll leave for our honeymoon. Once my men receive word that we've reached my family's estate safely they'll release your Mother."

"You're taking me back to Winkie country?"

"A wife's place is at her husband's side." Eadlyn ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. "And I plan on keeping you with me for a long, long time."

"No!" Glinda rushed toward them.

"Stop!" Addena motioned for her to stay where she was.

"But..." Glinda shook her head. "He can't do this."

"No he can't." Max squared his shoulders as everyone looked at him. "I'll give you the money."

"Money?" Glinda frowned. "What money?"

"I asked old Max here for a handsome sum of money to stay away." Eadlyn moved in closer to Addena. "But that was before I met this little wild cat. And now that I have I couldn't possibly settle for anything less." He glanced at Glinda. "Unless you'd like to sweeten the pot by volunteering to come with us."

"She's not." Max spoke before either of his daughter's could. "And I'm serious. I'll give you whatever you want."

"Wait a minute." Addena furrowed her brow. "Are you saying if he had given you the money none of this would be happening?"

"Yes." Eadlyn nodded.

Addena whipped her head toward her father. "And you refused?"

"I didn't think he was serious." Max defended himself.

Eadlyn chuckled. "That's what you get for thinking."

"I can't believe this." Addena's face was a mask of wonder. "You could have paid him? All he wanted was money and he would have left me alone?"

"More like he needs the money." Glinda huffed.

"What was that?" Eadlyn quirked an eyebrow.

"You didn't ask for the money because you wanted it did you?" Glinda stared at him. "You asked for it because you _need_ it don't you?"

He ogled her again. "You're a smart one."

"It doesn't take a genius to see through someone like you. Why don't you just take the money and go?"

"I can't." Eadlyn shook his head. "It's not enough anymore. Not when I can take her with me and come to Max for money any time I need it."

"But your family has money." Max argued.

"No, we used to have money. My father made more than a few bad business investments around the time he died. And what they say about the apple not falling far from the tree is completely true. I needed to find some way to save the family business or face the wrath of my mother." He shrugged. "So I came to Max. But obviously money means a lot to him too because he turned me down flat."

"I've changed my mind. I'll give you whatever you want." Max cut in. "Just leave my daughter alone."

"No."

Max scowled. "No?"

"That's right." Eadlyn grinned. "She's mine now."

"But you need the money." Max pushed the issue.

"Yes I do. And I'm going to get it. You, my dear friend," Eadlyn pointed at Max, "are going to be my cash cow."

The older man scoffed. "I don't think so."

"Then don't think. Either I get my money or your wife dies."

"But that's why I'm marrying you." Addena countered. "To keep my mother safe."

"Oh don't worry. I intend to have you too."

Max was bewildered. "Which is it? The money or the marriage?"

"Both." Eadlyn's voice had a dangerous edge to it. "I just upped the ante. Either I get your daughter and the money we discussed or you'll never see your precious wife again."

Glinda glared at him. "You're despicable!"

"I am aren't I?" Eadlyn beamed. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to go check on my men. But I'll see you," he grabbed Addena's arm, planting a kiss on her lips, "when you least expect it."

Addena stood where she was for a moment before turning on their father. "Money? That's all it would have taken to keep this from happening? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I..."

"You weren't supposed to answer!" She stormed out of the room.

Max quickly turned to his youngest daughter. "Glinda?"

"You're unbelievable." Glinda hurried after her sister.

"Great." Max pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if things could possibly get any worse.


	9. Chapter 9

Breena tightened her grip on her sister as another gust of wind hit them. "I'm starting to think we should have waited a little longer."

"The winds are going to be bad all day after that storm last night." Elphaba grinned over her shoulder. "Besides, where's your sense of adventure?"

"I think I left it in the cave."

Elphaba chuckled. "Not exactly the best accommodations we could have had."

"Hey, beggars can't be choosers. We were dry and warm."

"Were we in the same place? I seem to remember dripping water on the floor as our fire filled the cave with smoke."

It was Breena's turn to laugh. "We can leave that part out when we tell everyone else about it and cut to where we finally got smart and used our magic."

"True. Heaven forbid we ruin our reputations as witches."

"Exactly."

Elphaba had to wonder if maybe her sister wasn't right as another gust hit them, nearly making them spiral out of control. "You still all right back there?"

"Sure I am. I have the best broom pilot in all of Oz controlling this thing."

She started to thank her for the vote of confidence but decided she better not until they were safely on the ground again. Her and her bright ideas, wanting to use the broom rather than the mirror spell to get to the manor. Like they would look any less conspicuous flying up to the front door rather than suddenly appearing in the house. But Bree had readily agreed to her plan so here they were.

Of course Bree probably would have jumped at just about anything that ended with her getting to Addena. Elphaba could practically feel the hum of nervous energy running through her sister's body. The more they studied the Grimmerie the more in tune they seemed to be. She was going to have to ask Yackle if maybe their connection went deeper than just their magic.

"You don't think Dad will be too upset with us do you?"

The sound of Breena's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "No. It's not like we're skipping out on the talks completely. And we sent Fiyero and Lion in our places until we can get there." _By using the mirror spell_ a voice in the back of her head piped up. She quickly pushed it aside before it could point out the boys had spent the night in nice warm beds at the palace. "Who better to help the Wizard than a member of the underbelly and an Animal?"

"I know. It's just… I feel kind of guilty, running out on everyone to feed my insecurities."

"First of all, you're not running out on anybody." Elphaba wished she could turn around to get a proper look at her sister. "And you're not feeding an insecurity. We're going to the Uplands to check on the women we love. There's a big difference."

"I guess."

"What would you say if the shoe was on the other foot and I was worried because I thought Glinda was keeping something from me?"

"Glinda would never keep anything from you."

"Bree."

"I guess it would depend on why you were worried." She took her time answering.

She tried again, using her full name and putting a little more exasperation into her tone. "Breena Thropp."

"Fine." Breena sighed. "I would tell you to find her and make her tell you what was going on."

"Sounds like good advice. Maybe you should stop second guessing yourself and take it."

"I guess I'm going to have to. It's a little late to turn back now."

"Bree, you know if you really don't want to do this we can always…"

"No, I meant it's literally too late. We're already here."

Elphaba looked down, shocked to see they were indeed flying over Upland Manor. She swallowed hard as memories of the last time they were there invaded her thoughts.

"Hey look, they fixed the window I flew out of."

The corner of her mouth turned up at her sister's joke.

"I bet this place will seem boring this time."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Elphaba furrowed her brow when she spotted the men working in the gardens. "It looks like they're having some kind of party."

Breena followed her gaze. "Probably to celebrate Glinda and Addy making it through the whole Morrible thing with all their body parts still intact." She added, "Which is yet another reason their parents are going to love us," under her breath.

Elphaba couldn't help but hear her and think about how right she was. Not only had they put the Uplands daughters in danger as far as Morrible was concerned, she had to wonder how they would react to the news that Glinda and Addena had given their hearts to a couple of fellow females. Turning around and going back to Munchkinland was sounding better and better.

"Oh no you don't." Breena gave her side a gentle squeeze. "We might as well face the firing squad sooner rather than later."

"How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Sisterly intuition. Now let's go."

Elphaba nodded, bringing them down for a landing in a stretch of trees to the left of the house. She shrugged when she felt her sister looking at her. "No need attracting any more attention than we're already going to."

"True." Breena swung her leg over the handle. "Too bad we don't know a spell to make things smaller. Maybe then you wouldn't look so funny carrying a broom around."

"Like anyone's going to notice. Being green tends to draw more attention than anything else."

"I don't know. That broom is pretty conspicuous."

"Gee thanks."

"Any time."

They were both using their banter to cover their nervousness as they walked the short distance to the house.

Breena grabbed her sister's arm as she reached for the doorbell. "Do you think they'll be mad? Us checking up on them when they told us not to come?"

"No one told us not to come. And there's only one way to find out how they'll react." Elphaba pulled the ornate cord by the door, activating the booming bell inside.

"Well I guess no one's home." Breena waited a whole half a second to turn around and start walking away.

"Would you stop?" Elphaba caught her by the arm. "Everything's going to be fine."

A maid chose that moment to open the door. "Hello and welcome to…" She screamed when she saw Elphaba and slammed the door in their faces.

"Yeah. Like that bodes well for us." Breena groused.

Elphaba quirked an eyebrow, trying to lighten her sister's mood. "They definitely know how to greet a girl around here don't they?"

Meanwhile Addena and a hot on her heels Glinda were just passing the front door when they heard the maid scream, making them both nearly jump out of their skin.

"By the Unnamed God, Bernice. What is your problem?" Addena turned toward her angrily.

"I… There's…" The woman pointed toward the door.

"Calm down Bernie." Glinda showed her a little more compassion going to her and slipping her arm around her waist, hoping her sister wouldn't decide to take off again in the time it took the poor thing to stop stammering. "Now tell us what's going on."

"It's…" Bernice swallowed hard again. "The Witch."

Addena frowned. "The Witch?"

"Yes." The older woman nodded. "The Wicked Witch of the West. Standing on the doorstep with her skin as green as sin. But don't you worry Miss Glinda," she nodded bravely. "I won't let her take you again."

"Elphaba's here?" Glinda let go of the woman and headed for the door so fast she almost knocked her down. "Elphie!" She threw herself at the green girl the instant she got the door open.

"Hello my sweet." Elphaba returned the hug with one arm, holding the broom away from her love with the other.

"Bree?" Addena's jaw dropped when she saw her standing behind Elphaba.

"Hey." Breena gave her a nervous little wave.

"I can't believe you're here." Glinda pulled back to look at her lover for a moment before capturing her lips in a kiss.

"Me either." Breena commented, growing increasingly uncomfortable as Addena continued to stare at her.

"I take it you two know each other." Bernice's face was a mask of confusion as she watched the two girls.

Breena answered with a sarcastic, "Yeah, they go way back."

"Hiya Bree." Glinda bounced from Elphaba to the other witch, drawing her into a hug.

"Hi Blondie." Breena returned her hug, her eyes still on Addy. "At least someone is glad to see me."

Glinda ignored the comment, knowing her sister would soon realize what she already knew... Their problems were over now that Elphie and Bree were there. They would come up with some way of getting rid of Eadlyn.

"Well don't just stand there." The smaller blonde motioned at the witches. "Come in."

"I'm just... uh..." Bernice didn't know what to do with herself as Glinda shut the door behind Breena.

"It's all right Bernie. They're not going to hurt us." Glinda was all smiles as she gripped her lover's hand, pulling her over to the maid. "Bernice, I'd like you to meet Elphaba Thropp." She looked at the green woman with complete adoration. "My Elphie."

"You... Your Elphie?" The maid stammered again.

"Elphie, this is Bernie. She's been with our family since before I was born."

"It's very nice to meet you." Elphaba gestured with her broom. "I'd offer you my hand but as you can see, they're full at the moment."

"I..." Bernice swallowed hard. "I can take that for you."

"Thanks." Elphaba smiled. "But be careful. It can be kind of temperamental."

"Temperamental?" The older woman repeated. "But it's just a broom."

"Watch out. You'll hurt its feelings." Breena commented.

"That's Breena." Glinda introduced her. "Elphie's sister."

Bernice's eyes got big. "But the Witch's sister is dead!"

Breena rolled her eyes. "That was a different sister."

"Don't call her that, Bernie." Glinda scolded the maid. "She's a guest in this house and you will treat her with the same respect you would anyone else."

"Yes ma'am." Bernice bowed her head. "I'm sorry miss."

"Call me Elphaba. And you have nothing to apologize for. I can take some getting used to."

"Yes." Bernice agreed as she finally reached out to take the broom. She instantly let go when it tried to jerk out of her grasp.

"Behave yourself." Elphaba gave it a shake before holding it out to the woman. "Go ahead. It won't do it again."

Glinda giggled as the maid gingerly took the broom, holding it far away from her body for a moment before standing in a more normal fashion. "Very well. If that will be all I'll put this in the coat closet."

"That would be fine." Glinda was still giggling as she walked away. "Isn't she darling?"

"Adorable." Breena's voice was curt as she looked at Addy for what seemed like the millionth time. "I'm going to find some place to wait while you two visit. Take your time Elly." She started in the direction Bernice had gone.

"Bree?" Addena finally found her voice.

"Oh, so you can speak after all."

Addena ignored the biting words, not making a sound as she went to Breena and slowly slipped her arms around her waist before burying her cheek against her chest.

Breena wrinkled her brow. "Does this mean you're happy to see me?"

Addena nodded, not trusting her voice to answer. Her breath caught in her throat as Breena returned the embrace, pulling her close.

"You had me worried there for a second with the silent treatment."

"Who's this?"

And just like that Addena's moment of happiness was shattered by Eadlyn's voice.

"I'm Breena." She smiled at the newcomer, keeping her arms around Addy. "And you are?"

"He's no one." Glinda tried to intervene, knowing this wouldn't end up being good for anyone involved.

"Now that wasn't very nice was it? My name's Eadlyn." The man straightened his back, making himself even taller. "Addena's fiancé."

You could almost hear Breena's heart falling to her toes. "Her what?"

"Fiancé." Eadlyn smiled as he joined them. "Our wedding is tomorrow."

"Wedding?" Breena held Addy at arm's length. "This is some kind of joke, right?"

"Hardly." Eadlyn easily pulled a limp Addena away from a very shocked Breena, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"You're her... She's your..." Breena took a step back, surprised her legs were still holding her up.

"I think someone should explain what's going on here." Elphaba came to stand behind her sister.

"And we will." Glinda looked at Eadlyn challengingly. "He..."

"Needs to borrow these two for just a second." He half shrugged. "You know how it goes... Crazy last minute decisions."

Glinda crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not going anywhere."

"All right, if that's how you feel." Eadlyn subtly nodded his head toward Gregor, who yawned and gave a mighty stretch, revealing the gun he was carrying in his waistband. "But don't come crying to me if you don't like the party favors."

"Glinda?" Addena gave her sister a 'please don't test him' look.

She still stayed where she was, not wanting to give in to another of his threats.

Eadlyn eyed her coldly. "Your mother would be disappointed that you didn't give your input."

"Glinda, please." Addena was practically begging.

"All right, fine." She turned to look at Elphaba. "I'll be right back."

Eadlyn waited until they were out of the foyer to let go of Addena and turn on the sisters. "Who the hell are they?"

"Our..."

"Friends." Addena finished before her sister could.

"Friends huh?" Eadlyn shook his head. "What I saw when I came across the four of you looked like more than friendship."

"That's because it is."

"Glinda, don't."

The blonde was too worked up to hear her sister. "We love them and they love us. And..."

"Glinda!" Addena cut her off again.

She realized her mistake when she saw the gleam in Eadlyn's eye.

"So you're both into girl on girl action?" He smiled. "I like it."

Glinda wrinkled her nose in disgust. "It's not like that."

"The green one's yours right? Tell me, is she that color all over?"

"That's enough!" Addena spat.

Eadlyn grabbed her arm. "I'll tell you when something is enough." He craned his neck to look at the witches again. "They're pretty enough. But yours seems a little butch. Is she the man in your relationship?"

"Stop it!" Glinda tried to pull his hand off her sister.

"I think we should have a little fun." Eadlyn was in his element as he tortured the girls. "I want you to break up with her."

"No." Addena shook her head.

"In front of me."

"No!" Her second reply was more forceful.

"Do you remember what I said about making our wedding believable?" He tightened his grip on her arm. "How is that supposed to happen with her hanging around?"

Glinda said, "We'll send them away."

"Love makes people do stupid things." Eadlyn pursed his lips. "And we can't have her crashing our ceremony and getting herself killed now can we?"

Addena swallowed hard. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I? She's nothing to me." He made a shooing motion with his hand, signaling Gregor to move closer to the Thropps. "If something happens to her, her blood would be on your hands not mine."

"Why are you doing this?" Tears swam in Glinda's eyes.

"Because I can. And believe it or not it's incredibly amusing."

"Of all the sick, twisted..."

He caught Glinda's hand as she started to slap him. "Watch it or I'll reconsider my decision to leave you and your girlfriend out of this."

"Stop it. Just stop!" Addena ran a shaky hand through her hair. "I'll do whatever you say."

"Dena?"

"I have to Glinda. I can't let anything happen to Bree. Or you and Elphaba."

"Aw." Eadlyn gave her his best puppy dog eyes. "That's so sweet it makes me want to throw up."

"Why don't you shut up instead?"

He put his free hand on his chest. "You wound me with your meanness, Glinda."

The smaller blonde clinched her jaw. "I wish I could wound you with something else."

Eadlyn laughed. "I absolutely adore the women in your family. You're all so spirited."

Addena barely resisted the urge to finish what her sister had started and smack him. "Can we just get this over with?"

"By all means." He squeezed her arm again. "Just keep in mind that whatever story you come up with had better be convincing."

"She'll believe me." Addena hung her head, knowing how true her words were.

"Good." Eadlyn smiled again. "Now let's go break her heart."

Addena tried to avoid Breena's gaze as they rejoined the witches in the foyer but it was impossible. The pain she already saw in those emerald orbs was more than she could bear. How was she supposed to add more to it?

Gregor came into her line of sight behind Elphaba and Breena, a smirk on his face as he made a gun with his fingers and pretended to shoot them both.

"Is someone ready to tell us what the hell is going on?" Elphaba glanced angrily from Addena to Glinda and back again.

"Yes." She was surprised at how strong she sounded. She certainly didn't feel it. "Eadlyn's right. He's my fiancé."

Elphaba rubbed her forehead. "This isn't happening."

"We were childhood sweethearts." Addena continued her lie. "He asked me to marry him just before I left for medical school and he went off to serve in the Winkie army. We were going to have the wedding when his tour of duty was over. But a few months later I received word that he was killed in action."

Glinda couldn't believe the tale her sister was spinning but she could tell from the look on Breena's face that she did.

"I thought he was dead. So imagine my surprise when I showed up here thinking my mother was sick to find my long lost fiancé was alive and well and planning a surprise wedding for us."

"Surprise wedding?" Elphaba's voice dripped with doubt.

"The best kind." Eadlyn nodded. "I knew we had a lot of catching up to do after all these years so I thought what better way to do it than as man and wife. Her parents gave me their blessing so we started planning the ceremony."

Addena barely stopped herself from flinching when he said the word wife.

"And you're going to do it?" Breena finally joined the conversation. "You're going to marry him?"

"Yes." She somehow managed to keep her voice from trembling.

"Do you love him?"

The question caught Addena off guard. She had only loved one person her whole life and to have her asking if she loved someone else brought an ache to her chest. But she was doing what she had to do.

Even so her voice was barely audible as she said, "Yes."

Breena sighed. "That figures. I finally find the perfect girl and she's already got the perfect guy."

The words cut Addena like a knife. All she wanted to do was take Breena into her arms and make her understand what was happening. But she couldn't. "I never meant to hurt you, Bree." Her own heart bled as she said, "And I do love you."

"I know. I love you too. I always will." Breena stared into Addena's eyes for a moment before continuing. "And I wish you all the happiness in the world." She shifted her gaze to Eadlyn. "Both of you."

"Thanks." Eadlyn readily accepted the well wish.

Breena nodded. "I, uh…" A single tear made its way down her cheek. "I need some air."

"Bree?" Addena started after her as she opened the door and fled outside.

Elphaba stepped into her path. "I think you've done enough." She shook her head as she looked from Addena to Eadlyn and back again. "I can't believe you never told her about him."

"Elphie…" Tears were running freely down Glinda's cheeks as she put her hand on her lover's shoulder. The last thing Addena needed right now was someone else attacking her.

"Just because Bree was gracious about this whole thing doesn't mean I have to be." Elphaba answered but kept her eyes on Addena. "You broke her. And no matter how hard I or anyone else tries, we'll never be able to fix what you've done." She shot a nasty look at Eadlyn. "Now if you'll excuse me I need to go find my sister."

"Nice." Eadlyn clapped Addena on the shoulder after Elphaba left. "Very convincing."

"Keep your hands off her." Glinda growled.

"I'll have my hands all over her soon enough." He gloated.

Glinda clinched her jaw. "Shut up!"

"You two are so much fun." He chuckled. "You really need to think about coming with us after the ceremony tomorrow."

Addena shook her head. "Leave her alone."

Elphaba coming back in the house stopped him from replying. "She took a horse."

"What?" Eadlyn voiced the question before either of the Uplands could. "Which horse?"

"One that runs." Was Elphaba's sarcastic reply. "I tried to talk to her and she told me to leave her alone. The next think I know she's on a horse and galloping into the forest."

"She'll come back." Glinda's voice was hopeful.

"I can't wait to see if she does. She's not in the best of places right now." Elphaba started around the three of them. "I don't want to leave her alone."

"Will she do something horrible to herself?"

The color drained from Addena's face when Eadlyn asked the question.

"Of course not." Glinda looked at him like he was an idiot. "But Elphie's right. She shouldn't be alone."

"That's why I'm going to get my broom." Elphaba continued to walk. "It should be easier to spot her from the sky."

"Wait a minute." Eadlyn pointed at Elphaba. "You're the Wicked Witch of the West aren't you?" He grinned excitedly. "And I'm going to get to see you on your broom!"

"Don't call her that!" Glinda ground her teeth. "Dena, will you be all right if I go with Elphie?"

Addena nodded, knowing she couldn't trust her voice to answer. She tried to keep a tight lid on her emotions as she watched Glinda reach for Elphaba's hand only to have the green woman pull away as if she'd been burned.

"Uh oh." Eadlyn was still grinning. "Looks like the Witch is mad. Will she turn your poor sister into a toad or something?"

"Go away." Addena managed to hiss.

"If I wasn't so impressed with what you just did I would warn you about your temper. But since I am I'll let it slide." He leaned in close whispering, "Your mother would be so proud," before motioning for Gregor to follow him outside. "Let's see which horse she took."

Addena waited until she was alone to finally break down. One word fell from her lips as she sank to her knees, her sobs echoing around the foyer. "Bree…"


	10. Chapter 10

"She took mine."

"Great, that's just great."

Gregor frowned at Eadlyn's response. "I thought you would be happy she didn't take your horse. Not that you're overly attached to it or anything."

"Of course not. It's only a dumb animal." Eadlyn dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "But your horse still has a thing for Mason's mare, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah." Gregor grinned. "He's been trying to get at her for a little horsie hanky panky ever since we left Winkie Country."

"And you don't see the problem with that?"

"No."

Eadlyn smacked him on the back of the head. "Use you pea brain to think about it for a second. Where is the mare?"

Gregor rubbed his throbbing scalp. "At camp?"

"And where will your horny mount go?"

"Camp." He still wasn't grasping what Eadlyn was saying.

"And do we want miss broken heart stumbling across what we're doing so she can come back here and blab about it to everyone?"

"No." Gregor's eyes got big with understanding. "Oh shit."

Eadlyn nodded. "Now you get my point. If that horse takes her to our camp..."

"Your goose is cooked." His friend finished his thought for him.

"That's why you're going to take mine and catch up to her."

"What should I do once I find her?"

"Get your horse back." Eadlyn stated the obvious as a slow grin spread across his face. "And then get rid of her."

"You mean..." He left the question hanging.

"I can't have the poor little love bird crashing the ceremony tomorrow can I?"

"So do you just want me to get rid of her or can I have a little fun first?"

"That's completely up to you."

"Oh boy." Gregor rubbed his hand together. "I've never had one that didn't like men before."

Eadlyn smiled. "I'm sure you'll make her see the error of her ways. Just don't leave the body where anyone can find it this time."

"I won't. I learned my lesson." He pulled himself into the saddle.

"Good to know." Eadlyn watched him turn in the direction the other horse had gone. "And give her a message for me."

"Sure. What do you want her to know?"

"Tell her I can't wait to make Addena scream in ecstacy."

Gregor smiled. "I'll be back by sunset." And with that he took off after Breena.

"Elphie."

Glinda's voice barely registered as she made her way further into the house. She knew the blonde's short legs didn't stand a chance of keeping up with her long strides. That's why she pulled away when Glinda tried to take her hand. She couldn't afford to be slowed down right now.

"Where is the coat closet Bernice was talking about?"

"What?" Glinda was too busy trying to catch up to her lover and so shocked that Elphie had finally spoken that she didn't hear the question.

"I asked where the coat closet is."

"How am I supposed to know?"

Elphaba shot her a look over her shoulder. "You've lived here your whole life and you don't know where the closets are?"

"I never had to."

"Just because you didn't have to doesn't mean you shouldn't."

The blonde brow furrowed. "What?"

"Nothing." Elphaba turned back around, clearly not in the mood to try to explain what she was saying. Sometimes she forgot not everyone grew up in a hovel like her or a house where everything had its place like Breena's. She couldn't blame her love for not knowing where the closet was. This place was ridiculously huge. No one could have known where everything was even if they tried. But all she wanted was her broom, was that too much to ask?

"Elphie, slow down. You're practically sprinting."

She never should have let the maid take it in the first place. Then she wouldn't be running the risk of getting lost with an obviously distraught Glinda following her. The idea of her lover being upset made her want to stop and take the petite woman into her arms, but she couldn't. She had to concentrate on Breena right now. Her sister needed her.

Elphaba was so lost in thought she didn't see the man coming around the corner in front of her. The cup he was holding flew from his hand when they hit, hurling its contents down the front of his shirt.

"What in the name of..." Max clinched his jaw when he saw the mess he had become. "Why don't you watch where you're..." The biting tone he used when he expected to look up and find one of the servants standing there died in his throat when he caught sight of Elphaba. "Going?" His mind finished his initial question as his mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Sorry." Elphaba reached out as if to help him but realized there wasn't a whole lot she could do. "I didn't see you."

Max continued to stare. "You... You're..."

"Elphie." Glinda's relief at finally catching her was short lived when she saw her father. "Don't talk to her."

Elphaba frowned when she found herself being pulled behind her girlfriend.

"Don't even look at her."

"Glinda." Max seemed shocked to see his daughter. "You... You know her?"

"What are you doing?" Elphaba asked at the same time.

"Protecting you." Glinda answered her lover as she scowled at her father. "I won't have him hurting you like he's already hurt Breena."

"Breena?" Elphaba's frown deepened. "But he wasn't even..."

"Who's Breena?" Max interrupted her.

"Glinda, who is this?" Elphaba pointed over Glinda's shoulder at Max. "And what does he have to do with what happened between Addena and Breena?"

Max growled, "Who's Breena?!"

"My sister." Elphaba answered in the hopes he would shut up so Glinda could speak.

"Your sister?" Max sighed wearily. "Let me guess, Addena claims to be in love with her."

"She doesn't 'claim' to be anything." Glinda corrected him. "She loves Bree."

"Don't be stupid." Max shook his head. "I thought I broke her of that before she went away to school."

"Slapping someone and threatening to disown them in the hopes of bullying them into changing their mind doesn't work with people like Addena."

"I was not bullying her!" Max snapped. "I was merely trying to get it through that thick skull of hers that women belong with men and vice versa. Only sick demented fools think otherwise and I didn't raise either of you to be a fool."

"It sounds like you're the fool to me." Elphaba slipped her hand into Glinda's as she came to stand beside her.

"Excuse me?" Max's spine stiffened when he noticed the gesture. "What are you doing?"

"Loving me." Glinda looked at her Elphie with complete adoration.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." He paled like he was about to be sick. "Glinda, I know you've always looked up to your sister but..."

"Dena didn't have anything to do with this." The corner of Glinda's mouth turned up as she continued to stare into the brown eyes that hypnotized her. "Love snuck up on me when I least expected it."

"You don't love her."

Glinda's eyes went from warm to icy in the time it took her to switch her attention to her father. "I most certainly do."

"Wait a minute." Max snapped his fingers. "You're that green freak Madame Morrible stuck Glinda with at Shiz aren't you? The one she wrote home about."

"Freak?" Elphaba repeated the insult.

"I never called you that." Glinda was quick to reassure her. "All I did was..."

"Can't you see what this is?" Max interrupted her. "It's not love, it's infatuation with the unknown. Everyone has the urge to experiment when they're young. You thought you felt something for her before she went against the Wizard and now that she's come out of hiding your fascination with her has resurfaced. But you can't let yourself be led astray. What you need to realize is..."

"No, you're the one who needs to realize how wrong you are." It was Glinda's turn to interrupt him. "This isn't just some school girl crush. I love Elphaba with all my heart."

Max shook his head again. "No you don't."

"Yes she does." Elphaba countered. "And she has my heart as well."

"How could someone like you possibly know what love is?"

"Someone like her?" Glinda's voice was full of disbelief as she echoed his words. "She's the most kind, considerate, caring person I've ever met. Someone like you would be lucky to sweat in her shadow."

"How dare you speak to me that way?!"

Elphaba let go of Glinda, catching his arm as he started to hit her. "Who are you to raise your hand to her?"

"I'm her father! Who are you?!"

"She's my everything." Glinda answered before Elphaba could.

"This is your father?" Elphaba couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Unfortunately." Glinda replied.

"And he had something to do with Breena leaving?"

"I don't even know Breena. I..."

Elphaba tightened her grip on the wrist she still held, using the fact they were the same height to stare into his eyes. "I didn't ask you."

"This is all his fault, Elphie." Glinda started talking before he could open his mouth again. "He used Addena as a bargaining chip in some business deal he was trying to make for his firm when she was just a baby."

"An arranged marriage." She suddenly understood.

Glinda nodded. "She'd never even met Eadlyn until we got here yesterday."

"Glinda, what are you doing?!" Max tried to pull free from Elphaba. "You know what will happen if he finds out about this!"

Elphaba's hand was like a vice. "Hold still."

"The marriage was supposed to happen when Dena was younger but somehow the date got pushed back when she decided she wanted to go to medical school."

Max tried again. "Glinda I'm ordering you to stop."

She ignored him. "Eadlyn's father died when Dena was in school and Dad, in his infinite wisdom, thought that meant the deal was off. Until Eadlyn showed up here asking for Addena."

"Don't do this." He begged.

"Apparently Mom stood up to him and he..." Glinda's voice cracked. "He took her away."

"Took her?" Elphaba frowned. "What do you mean took her?"

"Just what it sounds like!" Max raged. "She told him he couldn't have Addena and he had his men drag her out of the house! I hope you're happy Glinda! You've just signed your mother's death warrant!"

Elphaba's eyes were big. "He's threatening to kill her?"

Glinda nodded. "He told Addena he would if she didn't go through with the ceremony. She had already agreed to do it to save her when you and Breena showed up and he decided it would be fun to make her break up with Bree."

"That sick bastard." Elphaba spat the words.

"Yes he is a sick bastard! And he's going to kill my wife!"

"Don't yell at her!" Glinda stepped forward to poke him in the chest. "You could have avoided this whole thing if you'd only paid Eadlyn off when he asked you to!"

"He asked you for money and you turned him down?"

Max clinched his jaw at Elphaba's question. "I thought he was bluffing."

"Some bluff." The green woman scoffed. "Now he's holding your wife hostage and has your oldest daughter over a barrel."

"What are we going to do Elphie?" All of Glinda's anger disappeared when she turned back to her lover. "We can't let him hurt Mother. But we can't let him have Dena either. He has said the most awful things to her."

"It will be all right my love." Elphaba finally let go of Max to draw Glinda into her arms. "We'll figure something out."

"You can't." Max rubbed his arm where she'd been gripping it. "There's nothing to be done."

Elphaba glared at him over Glinda's head. "You might be willing to give up on your daughter but I'm not. She's my friend and I'll be damned if I'm going to let something like this happen to her."

"Really?" Max's tone was condescending. "And just what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet." Elphaba answered honestly. "I think the first thing we should do is find Breena and fill her in on what's going on."

"That's a good idea." Glinda agreed.

"No!" Max shook his head. "It's bad enough that you know. If Eadlyn..."

"Screw Eadlyn!" Elphaba yelled back. "My sister is out there somewhere right now thinking that the love of her life is engaged to someone else! She needs to know the truth!"

"Maybe it's better if she doesn't." Max countered. "Has Glinda mentioned that Addena is infamous for breaking people's hearts? Countless boys have wanted her and even more girls have had her only to watch her walk away when the novelty of being with them wore off."

"That's a lie!" Glinda pulled away from Elphaba to glare at him. "She's never been in a relationship before, let alone one like she has with Breena!"

"Because she's confused and doesn't know what she wants!"

"You're wrong!" She started toward him again only to be stopped by Elphaba.

"We're wasting precious time arguing with him Glinda. It's pretty obvious he doesn't know you or your sister so who cares what he thinks?"

Max shot her a look. "Now see here..."

Elphaba locked eyes with him, instantly shutting him up. "Don't try your scare tactics on me. They won't work. Now where's the coat closet?"

"The what?" He squinted his eyes.

"He won't know either. Bernice!" Glinda called for the maid. "Ber..."

"Yes Miss Glinda?" The woman seemed to appear out of thin air behind them.

"Where did she come from?" Elphaba nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned to look at her.

"There are servants' passages throughout the house." Glinda explained. "Bernie, we need Elphie's broom."

"Right away miss." She bustled away.

"So you still ride your broom all over Oz terrorizing people?" Max goaded Elphaba.

"She never terrorized anyone." Glinda defended her lover. "She was the one who was terrorized."

"Is that why everyone called her wicked? Because she was misunderstood?"

"She's not wicked!"

Max smirked. "I just bet she's not."

"Here you go Miss Elphaba." Bernice made another appearance before Glinda could reply, gingerly handing the broom to the witch. "Sorry it took me a moment, but I think it was trying to have a talk with an umbrella someone left at the last party."

Max looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting off?"

"I wouldn't doubt it." Elphaba gave the woman a half grin. "It has a hard time understanding why other things are inanimate."

"Right." Bernice started to back away. "If you don't need me for anything else..."

"Thank you Bernie." Glinda dismissed her.

Max watched the servant walk away. "Has everyone lost their minds around here?"

"Are you coming with me?" Elphaba asked Glinda as if he hadn't spoken at all.

"I'd really like to tell Dena what's going on but I think you were right before. We need to find Breena first and let her know what's happening. That way she can help us come up with a plan to get Mother back and be rid of Eadlyn."

"Then let's go." Elphaba reached for her hand.

"Just like that?" Max inquired as they started back the way they had come. "You think it's going to be that easy to make this all go away?"

"We didn't say it would be easy." Glinda clarified. "But at least we're willing to try."

He threw his hands at them in a 'go away' gesture as they rounded the corner and disappeared from view. They were only going to make things worse by angering Eadlyn. And that wasn't going to solve anything. It was only going to make things worse.

Unless someone told Eadlyn.

He swallowed hard at the idea. He wanted to find a way out of this for Addena just as much as anyone else, but he wanted his wife back even more. If he had to sacrifice his daughter to make that happen, so be it.

He hurried in the direction the girls had gone, his mind made up. While they were flying around on Elphaba's broom, he was going to have a little chat with Eadlyn. But he needed to change first. After all, a gentleman had his standards.


	11. Chapter 11

"I'm sorry Glinda." Elphaba turned ever so slightly to look at her girlfriend.

"Stop apologizing." Glinda chastised her.

"But…"

"You heard me. Now use some of that energy to help us find a place to… Oh look," the blonde pointed, "a shed."

Elphaba glanced down before nodding in agreement, glad the smaller woman took it as a hint to burrow against her back again. She used one hand to guide the broom stick and kept the other firmly over the pale appendages clasped around her waist as they descended. The least she could do was act as a human shield against the driving rain.

They shouldn't have left the house in the first place. She should have taken one look at the sky and called the whole thing off. Or at the very least told Glinda she wasn't going. But the thought of Bree being out there by herself made her half sick to her stomach. And Glinda being Glinda would have just told her to stop being ridiculous and gone with her anyway. Now here they were, out in the middle of nowhere with another monster storm brewing.

Glinda barely waited for their feet to touch the ground before climbing off the broom and grabbing her lover's hand, dragging her toward the shed. "Come on!"

Elphaba was more than happy to comply. She hated being soaked. It reminded her too much of her ill fated trip through the trap door at Kiamo Ko and all the time she spent hiding the fact she was alive from Glinda.

"It's adorable."

The sound of the blonde's voice pulled her from her musings. She furrowed her brow as she stepped inside the structure and took in their surroundings. "It's a shed full of empty seed sacks."

"It reminds me of a doll house I had growing up. And it puts a roof over our heads. Sometimes you have to put that negativity aside and use your imagination, Elphie." Glinda picked up one of the huge sacks. "We can tear arm holes in them and put them on to keep us warm while our clothes dry."

Elphaba grinned. "Well aren't you the resourceful one?"

"You know me and fashion." She wrinkled her nose as she took a closer look at the sack. "Or should I say lack there of?"

"Seeing you in that would give a whole new meaning to the phrase looking good in a potato sack."

A blonde brow lifted. "Thanks. I think."

Elphaba chuckled. "I like you better in what you're wearing though."

"Me too, but we can't stay in these wet things Elphie." Glinda strained to tear a hole in the sack she still held. "We'll catch our deaths of..."

"Sitis." Elphaba mumbled.

"Cold." A triumphant grin spread across her face as the fabric gave way. "See. Now we can get out of these wet things and…" Her voice trailed off when she realized she was already dry. "How…" She ran her hand down the material of her dress before eyeing her companion. "Show off."

Elphaba was all smiles. "You're the one who kept going on and on about the sacks. Maybe we should take a few back with us so you can have a dress made out of them."

"No thanks." Glinda shook her head. "Just cast the spell on yourself and help me pile some of these sacks up."

"Why?"

"We might as well be as comfortable as possible while we wait out the storm." She flinched as thunder boomed. "It sounds like it could be a while."

"Good idea." Elphaba quickly did as she was told and started helping with the sacks.

"I have a question for you." Glinda gave her a sidelong glance. "Could you have used that spell to dry us off at the lake or did it just come to you today?"

The corner of Elphaba's mouth turned up. "No, Bree and I got caught in the storm last night." Her half smirk quickly faded when she thought of her sister. "We came up with it together."

Glinda's heart broke for her lover but she wasn't sure what would happen if she tried to coddle her. Sometimes Elphaba was open to the attention and other times she bristled and got angry. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her more so she just said, "Good."

They continued working with the sacks in silence for a few minutes before Elphaba spoke again.

"Glinda, I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. It's just…" Her voice cracked. "I'm so worried about Bree. We're a lot a like when it comes to emotions and I…" Tears started to fall from her eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever thought I'd lost you again."

"Oh Elphie." Glinda grabbed her, holding her close. "You have nothing to apologize for. I'm worried about Bree too." She pulled back a little to look at her. "And you never have to worry about losing me again. I'm yours. Forever."

Elphaba stared into her blue eyes. "I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve you."

"I could ask myself the same question."

They moved at the same time, bringing their lips together in a soft caress. Glinda gently lowered the taller woman to the makeshift bed, indulging in their kiss for a while longer before settling herself against Elphaba's chest. "Everything's going to be all right Elphie. We're going to find Bree. I bet she's somewhere safe and warm right now, kicking herself for getting stuck in this storm."

Elphaba held her close, praying she was right.

* * *

_You're going to get lost._

She let the horse have his own way as they galloped through the trees.

_Probably not the smartest thing you could do considering you don't know this part of Oz._

Normally she wasn't such a lackadaisical rider, but today she didn't care where she went as long as it was away from Upland Manor.

_That's right, run away. Chicken._

She wasn't a chicken. Childish for stealing someone else's horse and running away, yes. But not a chicken.

_If it sounds like a chicken and acts like a chicken, it's a chicken._

Everyone had their breaking point. Hers involved the love of her life announcing to the world that she was engaged to someone else.

_She had a good excuse._

Yeah, some young star crossed lovers crap about how what's his name went off to serve in the army and was presumed dead. It sounded like something straight out of one of those sappy romances Betak loved to read.

_Bad things happen to good people all the time._

Wasn't that the truth? Look what being good and trying to do the right thing did for her… Brought her a broken heart and the overwhelming urge to beat that annoying smirk of what's his names face.

_That wouldn't accomplish anything and you know it._

Maybe not, but it would make her feel better. Why should she be the only one in pain?

_You're not._

It sure seemed like she was. She was the one who had her heart torn out and ripped to shreds.

_Did you ever stop to think that Addy's hurting too?_

No she wasn't. She had Mr. Surprise Wedding to wipe away her tears.

_Maybe she doesn't want him. Maybe she wants you._

Sure she did. That's why she never told her about him in the first place, because she loved her so much.

_It was painful for her to talk about._

Well it was even more painful for her to watch. Good riddance to both of them.

_You don't mean that._

She never should have let her defenses down.

_No one can be a loner forever._

She never should have let her in.

_But it was so easy._

Everything was fine when it was just her.

_Now you're lying to yourself._

She was better off without her.

_No you're not. You said it yourself… you love her. You'll always love her._

That didn't matter anymore.

_Love always matters. Go talk to her._

She couldn't.

_You have to. Otherwise you're going to get lost in this whole mess. Then you won't be any good to anyone._

Breena clinched the reins in her hand, willing the warring voices in her head to shut up and go away. She left to be alone, not to listen to her anger argue with her softer side.

Under different circumstances she might have laughed at the idea. After all, it made her sound like some raving lunatic who needed to be locked up in the Oz Asylum. But even she couldn't find the hidden humor in the scene that unfolded earlier. Probably because there wasn't anything funny about watching your dreams go up in flames.

_And who do you have to blame for that?_

She closed her eyes, thinking maybe a few deep breaths would put things back into perspective. If only she had waited a moment longer she might have seen the tree branch coming. Instead she was blissfully unaware that she was going to be knocked out of the saddle until it happened.

"Ugh!" The air rushed from her lungs when she hit the ground as another clap of thunder roared overhead.

The horse reared at the turn of events, frantically pawing the air for a moment before taking off at a full gallop further into the woods.

"No, wait." Breena winced as she sat up but it was already too late. Her ride was long gone. "Damn it." She smacked the ground with her open palm, wincing again at the pain it brought to her shoulder. She quickly took mental stock of her body. Her head was pounding and her shoulder ached, but nothing was broken. Except maybe her pride.

"Way to go Thropp." She climbed to her feet, looking around in a vain attempt to get her bearings. "Maybe you should have listened when you told yourself you were getting lost." Thunder rolled overhead for a moment before the clouds that had been blowing in when she and Elphaba arrived opened up. She held her arms wide, watching as the downpour drenched her before rolling her eyes. "Getting what you deserve for running away, aren't you?"

She started walking in what she hoped was the right direction, deciding it would be better to go back to the house and look like the pathetic whelp she was then brave the storm for too long. Maybe ole what's his name would find it in the kindness of his heart to give her something to change into before she used the mirror spell to go home.

A spell. That was the answer. Maybe she should try the transportation spell she and Elly were working on with Yackle. She was a lot bigger than a vase of flowers, but what was the worst that could happen? She would waste a little breath before continuing her trek to the manor?

"Help!"

The cry sounded just as she opened her mouth to speak. She furrowed her brow, thinking maybe she was hearing things.

"Someone please, help!"

No, there was definitely someone or something out there. She nearly jumping out of her skin when a young Wolf cub came crashing toward her out of the underbrush.

"Help!" The poor thing practically jumped into her arms.

"Whoa." Breena managed to catch the bundle of fear. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Trappers!" The shaking canine looked at her with frantic eyes. "They're trying to catch my teacher and some of my classmates!"

"Trappers?" Breena frowned at the idea. "Are you sure?"

The Wolf nodded. "They have nets and clubs and guns and..."

"OK, I get the point. Where are they?"

"About a half mile that way." He gestured with his little paw. "You've got to hurry! My teacher is big but she can't hold them off by herself forever!"

"It'll be all right." She said it as much to reassure herself as the cub. "Do you know where Upland Manor is?"

The Wolf nodded.

"Good. I want you to go to the kitchen door and ask for Elphaba. Tell her what's going on." She didn't want him running into Eadlyn.

His eyes got big. "You mean Miss Elphaba?"

"You've heard of her?"

"She stood up to the Wizard for us."

Breena grinned. "Yep. That's Elly."

The Wolf was in awe. "You know her?"

"You could say that. I'm Breena, her sister."

"Not Miss Breena?" His little voice squealed in shock.

Her grin became a smile. "You've heard of me too?"

All he could do was nod.

"Good, then you know I'm not going to tell you to do anything you shouldn't." She put him down. "Now get going. And don't stop until you've found Elphaba."

"Yes ma'am." The little guy ran off at top speed.

Breena waited until she was sure he was gone to look toward the heavens. "You wouldn't be interested in giving me a little sunshine so I don't get all muddy when I'm fighting would you?" Another roll of thunder was her only reply. "Gee thanks for all your help."

She set a steady pace, not wanting to wear herself out before she even got there. She knew she was going in the right direction when she heard the sound of men shouting over the pounding of the rain. What she saw when she finally reached them surprised her. There were ten men surrounding a Lioness, who was somehow holding them at bay to protect the tiny goat and tiger cub she had nestled between her and a tree. A colt was at her side, his little ears laid back as he did his best to help her.

"Agito."

Breena wasted no time throwing the men closest to their intended captives.

"Hey!" One those still on his feet turned to look at her. "Who the hell are you?"

"Watch your language." She frowned. "There are ladies and children present." She cast another spell, throwing a few more of the men.

"What are you?" The same man's mouth hung open.

"Who cares?" Another man spoke as he grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her side. There must have been more of them lurking in the trees in case anyone tried to escape. "Let's see what she can do when she can't use her hands."

"How about this?" Breena threw her head backward, smashing him in the face. She moved when his grip loosened, turning to plow her fist into his nose. He went down hard and didn't move again.

"So the little girl thinks she can fight huh?" A bear of a man turned away from the snarling Lioness. "Try that with me."

Breena watched him start toward her, sensing someone else moving in behind her too. She knew she could have made short work of them with her magic, but hitting that guy felt so good she grinned instead. "Gladly."

The man charged, swinging the club in his hand over his head for what was sure to be a devastating strike. Breena knew the other one was making his move at the same time so she waited until he was almost on her to duck, letting him crack his comrade over the head.

"Hey!" He roared.

She launched herself upwards, adding more force behind her fist as she slammed it into his jaw.

He laughed. "Do you honestly think that's going to…"

She silenced him with a left hook quickly followed by another uppercut. He stared at her, wide eyed, for a moment before falling backward, landing on another man who had come to help.

"That bitch took him out."

"Get her!"

She wearily eyed the men who started to circle her. "Well aren't you a bunch of tough guys? Taking on babies and unarmed women? What's next, a little old lady? Are you at least going to make sure she has a cane so she can defend herself?"

Her words had their desired effect, distracting the men enough for her to launch her attack without them expecting it.

The Lioness took advantage of the situation to take a swipe at the only man still concentrating on her, catching him in the side. She swallowed hard as he fell to the ground, blood pouring from the gashes she had created.

"Miss Penelope?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the colt speak. "Take the others and get out of here."

"But…"

"Don't argue with me young man. Just go."

Breena was too busy sidestepping an attacker's attempt to run her through to overhear the conversation. She grabbed his sword arm, bringing up her knee to dislodge the weapon before letting go so she could slam her elbow into this face. She quickly ducked between two more as they rushed her, popping up close enough behind them to grab their collars and knock their heads together.

One of the other men grabbed her from behind, being sure to stay out of range of her head so he didn't end up like his companion. "Now I've got you."

"Not quite." The Lioness hit him in the shoulder with the back of her paw, knocking him away as if he were nothing.

"I'm getting out of here."

"Me too!"

The two men left standing beat a hasty retreat.

"Thanks." Breena gave the Lioness a grin.

"I should be the one thanking you." The feline looked at the unconscious men around them. "You did all the work."

"You're… Ow!" Breena flinched as something hit her in the neck. She reached up, pulling a dart from her flesh with an already shaky hand.

"Are you all right?" The Lioness managed to finish her question before a duplicate dart found its way into her chest.

"I…" Breena sank to her knees, managing a barely audible, "Go," before sprawling in the mud.

"No." The Lioness' voice quivered. "I won't… leave you."

The last thing Breena saw was the oversized cat snarling at another group of men before she fell into oblivion.


	12. Chapter 12

This couldn't be happening. Addena wasn't standing there, telling Bree she was engaged to be married. It just wasn't possible. If there were two people who were meant to be together, it was Breena and Addena. She couldn't have come up with a better match for her sister if she tried.

But it was happening. She was standing there watching her sister get torn to shreds. And there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop it.

Anger had her stepping into Addena's path when she tried to follow Bree as she fled the house. The woman had caused enough damage without rubbing Bree's face in it by pretending she still cared. She wanted nothing more than to give Addena and that grinning buffoon behind her a piece of her mind but she didn't have time. She had to get to Breena. So she settled for a quick tongue lashing before hurrying after her sister.

Breena was just outside the door, a look of complete and utter shock on her face as she stared blankly ahead. She tried to talk to her but the sound of her voice seemed to spur her sister into action. Bree took off across the yard like a woman on a mission. It took her a minute to realize she was making a beeline for the horses milling nearby. She ran after her, grabbing her shoulder.

"Leave me alone, Elly."

The defeat in those four words broke her heart but they were nothing compared to the butterflies that erupted in her stomach when Bree pulled away to grab the reins of one of the horses and swung herself into the saddle.

"I'm sorry. I just…" Bree shook her head. "I need some time." And with that she set the horse in motion.

She watched her gallop toward the forest, wishing there was something she could do. That's when she saw the blackness creeping in. She blinked a couple of times, thinking it was just her imagination, but it wasn't. There was a darkness spreading through the trees. And it was headed right for her sister.

"Bree?"

Pitch colored clouds rolled across the sky as she called out. Bree didn't seem to notice any of the changes as she neared the tree line. If anything, the horse was going faster.

"No, wait!" She tried to run after her but she couldn't move. "Bree!"

Tears filled her eyes as her sister rode headlong into the nothingness the forest had become. "Bree?" Her breath hitched in her throat. "Come back!"

"Elphie?"

Her sister was gone.

"Elphie, wake up."

"Bree?" The name was little more than a whisper.

"No Elphie, it's me."

She bolted upright as her eyes snapped open.

"Great Oz." Glinda barely moved in time to avoid being headbutted. She put her hand on her chest as she looked at her lover. "You nearly scared the life out of me."

Elphaba frowned. "Glinda?"

"Are you all right Elphie? I was starting to think you were never going to wake up." She tucked a tress of raven hair behind a green ear. "That must have been some dream."

"Dream?" Elphaba repeated the word.

"Well, judging from the way you were tossing and turning and mumbling I would say it was more along the lines of a nightmare."

"I was asleep?"

Glinda nodded. "It was storming, remember?" She rubbed Elphie's arm, knowing she wasn't completely awake yet. "We came in here to wait it out and you dozed off."

"We were looking for Bree." Elphaba's eyes went wide. "Bree!"

"Elphie…" Glinda knew what was coming next.

"I'm supposed to be finding her and instead I take a cat nap?" Her voice was full of disbelief. "What is wrong with me?!"

"You were tired."

"That's not an excuse!" Elphaba growled. "Do you think Bree would let something like being tired stop her if I was the one missing?!"

"She's not missing." Glinda said it as much to convince herself as Elphie. "And you need to calm down."

"But…"

"You and Breena got stuck in the storm last night right?" She didn't wait for a response. "I'm willing to bet neither one of you got much sleep. Add that to being stressed out over what happened today and you were at your limit."

"I still shouldn't have…"

"Stop." Glinda stroked Elphie's cheek. "Beating yourself up over getting a little sleep isn't going to solve anything. Just like wearing yourself too thin won't help you find Bree. You were tired, my love. And I stayed awake so I would know when the storm ended."

"You did?"

"I knew you would want to leave as soon as possible." A low roll of thunder had her casting her eyes at the roof of the shed. "It's moving away but it's not gone yet."

"It will be soon." Elphaba gripped the blonde's hand. "I'm sorry for overreacting."

"You're worried about Bree. We both are." Glinda twined her fingers with her lover's. "But we'll find her once the storm is over. And when we do we'll tell her what's going on and come up with a plan to help Dena."

Elphaba sighed. "This hasn't been easy on anyone has it?"

Glinda shook her head. "I'm just glad we're together."

"Me too." Elphaba pulled her into her arms. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Being here. Keeping me in line."

"Where else would I be and it's a dirty job but somebody's got to do it." Glinda grinned. "Besides, I'm making up for lost time when it comes to watching you sleep. It's the only time you let those beautiful features relax." Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "If only you didn't drool."

"What?" Elphaba mouth dropped open in shock. "I don't drool."

"Oh but you do. And it's _so_ cute."

"I'll show you cute."

Glinda giggled as Elphie rolled her onto her back. She sobered as she stared up at the woman she adored. "I love you."

Elphaba smiled. "I bet I love you more."

"That's not possible." Glinda silenced her protests by pulling her down for a kiss.

"Emm." Elphaba nodded as they parted. "That was nice but what about this?" She initiated a slower, more drawn out liplock.

Glinda melted into it, giving Elphie control as she let herself get completely lost in their intimate embrace.

Elphaba leaned her forehead against Glinda's when she finally came up for air. "So what did you think?"

"That was..." She swallowed hard, trying to regain her bearings. "I don't think they've come up with a word to describe what just happened."

"Does that mean you liked it?"

Glinda nodded. "But I think we should call the who loves who more debate a tie."

"You do?"

"Yes. Because I can do this..." Glinda flipped her, capturing her lips before her back had a chance to hit the sacks. She didn't hesitate to start a wrestling match between their tongues.

It was Elphaba's turn to get lost until the sensation of Glinda unbuttoning her shirt as she trailed feather light kisses down her neck drew her back to reality.

"Glinda." She caught the pale hand before it could get too far. "We can't."

"What?" The blonde seemed to be coming out of a haze.

"I think the storm is over." Elphaba elaborated.

"Oh, uh..." Glinda licked her lips. "I don't know what came over me." She looked at the woman beneath her and chuckled. "OK, so that's not entirely true. I know exactly what came over me, but I didn't mean to get so carried away."

"You weren't the only one caught up in the moment." Elphaba wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight. "We'll pick up where we left off as soon as this whole thing is over."

"Promise?"

Elphaba kissed the tip of her nose. "Promise."

Glinda pulled out of her arms and stood. "Then let's get moving."

Elphaba grinned as she let herself be pulled to her feet. "You're easily motivated."

"I might be a lot of things, but easy isn't one of them." Glinda kissed her soundly. "Now grab you're broom and let's go before I change my mind and finish what we started right now."

They were both smiling as they walked hand in hand out of the shed.

"A rainbow." Glinda pointed. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Not as pretty as you."

"Sometimes you say the sweetest things."

"Miss Elphaba."

"Miss Elphaba? You haven't called me that since our first days at Shiz." Elphaba gave her a sidelong glance. "Why are you being so formal all of a sudden?"

Glinda furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"You calling me Miss Elphaba."

"I didn't call you Miss anything."

Elphaba gave her a disbelieving look. "Then I must be hearing things because someone did."

Glinda shrugged. "Well it wasn't me."

"It was me."

They both nearly jumped out of their skins as a wolf cub came clamoring up to them.

"Oh look Elphie, a Puppy." Glinda knelt down to get a better look. "Who's a cute little Puppy?" she sing songed in a baby voice. "You're a cute little Puppy." If she didn't know better she would have sworn the tiny bundle of fur cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm not a Puppy, I'm a Wolf." His yellow eyes suddenly got big as he swallowed hard. "And you're Glinda the Good." He ducked his head. "I didn't mean any disrespect."

"You weren't being disrespectful, you were correcting her." Elphaba joined her lover in kneeling. "And she's not that easily offended."

"Wow." The cub was too busy staring to hear what she was saying. "It's really you."

Glinda giggled. "It looks like you have a fan."

"They teach us all about how you stood up to the Wizard and fought for animal rights." He took a half step closer to Elphaba. "It is truly a pleasure to meet you." He bowed the best he could.

"And a polite fan at that." Glinda beamed.

"Don't do that." Elphaba was embarrassed by the gesture. "Are you with your family?"

"No." The cub shook his head. "They're not here."

Elphaba frowned. "Did you get separated from them by the storm?"

"No. I was on a trip with a few of the other kids from my class when we were attacked."

"Attacked?" Glinda was shocked.

The cub nodded. "By a group of trappers."

"Trappers?" It was Elphaba's turn to echo what he was saying.

"A big group of them." He continued. "Miss Penelope tried to distract them so us kids could escape but I was the only one who got away. I was going to bite one of the men but she told me to run and get help."

Glinda wrinkled her nose. "So you came looking for us?"

"No, I mean yes." He sighed. "I guess kind of in a way I came looking for you. But only because Miss Breena told me to."

"Breena?" Elphaba certainly wasn't expecting to hear her sister's name.

"I ran into her in the woods and she told me to find you and tell you what was going on. I ran as fast as I could but the storm came and I was scared so I hid and..."

"Slow down." Glinda soothed him.

"Sorry." He ducked his head from her gaze again. "Momma has to get after me about that all the time."

"Did Breena say anything else?" Elphaba tried to bring him back to the subject at hand.

He thought about it for a moment. "No. I told her about the trappers and she told me to go find you at Upland Manor and let you know what was going on."

Glinda gripped Elphaba's arm. "You don't think she went after them by herself?"

"If someone was in danger I think that's exactly what she did."

"She's really brave." The cub agreed. "They teach us about her in school too."

Glinda tightened her grip on her girlfriend's arm. "Elphie?"

"We have to find her." Elphaba stared down at the Wolf. "Will you take us to her?"

"I... I..." The little guy stammered, ending with a barely audible, "I can't."

"Can't?!"

"Elphie." Glinda used a warning tone as the cub flinched.

"But..."

"He's just a baby."

"I..."

"And yelling is going to scare him. He can't help us if he's scared."

"I'm sorry." Elphaba's shoulders slumped as her anger quickly faded.

"No, I'm sorry." The cub avoided her gaze. "Like I said before, I got scared of the storm and started to get lost so I hid in a log. The rain must have washed away my paw prints because when I came back out I couldn't tell which way I'd come or which way I needed to go."

Glinda resisted the urge to pick him up and hold him close. "You poor thing."

"Luckily I saw you two coming out of the shed." He swallowed hard as he looked up at his hero. "I'm sorry Miss Elphaba."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Elphaba assured him. "You did exactly what Bree told you to."

"But..."

"You found me and told me what happened." She continued before he could.

"She's right." Glinda agreed. "Elphie, what are we going to do?"

Elphaba sighed. "I don't know."

"Jasper!"

They were all three startled as an orange blur came hurtling toward them. It hit the Wolf, sending him tumbling away from Elphaba and Glinda.

"What was that?" Glinda latched onto Elphaba's arm as they both stood.

"If I had to hazard a guess I'd say it's a Tiger cub." Elphaba answered as the two Animals finally came to a stop with the Tiger on top.

"Jas, I'm so glad I found you."

"Sorry, Tigress." Elphaba corrected herself as the tiny cat spoke.

"Leta." The Wolf looked up at her. "How did you get here?"

"We followed your tracks until the rain started to wash them away." She answered.

"We?" Glinda asked.

As if on cue a colt with a tiny goat clinging to its back came crashing out of the forest.

"You all got away." The cub sounded relieved.

The Tigress nodded. "This woman showed up and started fighting the trappers. Miss Penelope told us to run and stayed behind to help."

"Oh Elphie." Glinda was on the verge of tears.

Elphaba clinched her jaw. "I have to look for them."

"It won't do you any good." The Colt spoke as they joined them. "There have been several similar attacks lately and the trappers never leave anything behind. Between the storm and the way they clean up after themselves, you'll never find Miss Penelope or that woman."

"You're saying there have been other attacks?" Glinda clarified.

"Four over the last week." The cub spoke again as he climbed to his feet. "Our parents were worried about Miss Penelope taking us out but she told them everything would be fine."

"And now she's gone." The Tigress hung her head.

"Go." Glinda let go of Elphaba. "Find them."

Elphaba tightened her grip on her broom. "I can't leave all of you out here alone."

"Elphie..."

"We'll go to the Manor and then I'll come back." Elphaba spoke over her.

"You'll be wasting your time." The Colt flicked his tail. "We've looked for the others that went missing but no one's been found. It's like they just disappeared."

Elphaba looked out into the trees, his words echoing through her mind. Glinda had been wrong before. Breena _was_ missing.

Just like in her dream, her sister was gone.

_A/N: I'm off to see our favorite witches on Broadway in NYC and won't be able to post until next week. Here's hoping you all enjoy it and I'll be sure to say "Hi" to Elphie and Glinda for you._


	13. Chapter 13

Under different circumstances she might have laughed. After all, watching the way the men practically tripped over each other with chairs and swarmed the gazebo in an attempt to fix the damage the storm had caused was pretty comical. But knowing they were bending to someone else's will just like her put a major damper on her already sour mood. Only in their case they were being paid handsomely to make the gardens look perfect for the ceremony in the morning whereas she was being blackmailed into walking down the aisle to a man she couldn't stand.

If Glinda and Elphaba weren't out there somewhere at the mercy of the elements she would have wished for another storm to come along and completely destroy things this time. But she couldn't. Not until...

Addena growled as frustration made her turn away from the window. She loved the woman for crying out loud but she couldn't even bring herself to think her name. If she did she would break down again and she couldn't possibly have any more tears left after the way she'd bawled her eyes out downstairs. Thank goodness she managed to make it to her room before her father or Eadlyn saw her. The last thing she needed was either one of those bastards giving her a hard time.

The clock down the hallway from her room chimed, reminding her that in a few short hours she would be married. The idea made her physically sick to her stomach. How was she supposed to pull it off? How was she supposed to get up in front of what was bound to be all of the Upper Upland muckety mucks and make people believe she was happy to be with Eadlyn?

It wouldn't be easy, that was for sure. But it had to be done. She couldn't let anything happen to her mother. Not after everything she'd given up to ensure her safety.

She threw herself down on the bed to stare up at the ceiling. How many times had Glinda laid beside her just like this when they were younger, fantasizing about the day she met her prince charming and the perfect storybook wedding they would have? She should have known then how different she was. Never once did she dream about getting married. As a matter of fact, she never even thought about being with someone. She lost count of the lectures she got from her father about turning away would be suitors. But what was she supposed to do? She couldn't play the debutante like her sister. She just didn't have it in her.

Her father nearly had a stroke the day she announced she wanted to go away to medical school. She was supposed to date a doctor, not become one herself. But with a lot of begging and even more intervention from her mother she finally got to go. She had hoped maybe, for once in her life, her father would be proud of her. But it didn't happen. He was constantly complaining about how much her schooling cost and inviting the sons of people he worked with over to meet her when she was home on breaks.

It finally got to the point where she stopped caring what he thought. Why should she when it was so abundantly clear that he didn't give a damn about her? He could care less that he ruined her life with his deal making. How was she supposed to get involved with someone when she had the specter of a finace she'd never met looming in her future?

But all that changed the day a certain witch scared her as she was trying on some of her mother's new clothes. One look into those emerald green eyes and she was hooked. Yes she fought the idea of falling for her tooth and nail but it didn't do any good. She was completely and utterly in love and there wasn't a thing she could do to change it.

Too bad they barely had a chance to be together before everything fell apart.

She angrily swiped at the tears running down her cheeks. It wasn't going to do her any good to linger over something that could never happen. She had to face the fact that that part of her life was over and done.

She got up and went back to the window. That was her future now. A big, splashy wedding in the family gardens complete with a drop dead gorgeous man who was bound to make her miserable for the rest of her life.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Elphaba emerge from the tree line near the gardens. She practically pressed her nose against the glass in anticipation of who would be following her. First came Glinda, then a horse followed by... Something wasn't right. Instead of another witch there was a motley crew of tiny animals with them.

She watched as Glinda shepherded everyone toward the kitchen door. It was hard to read her sister's expression but she could tell from her body language that things hadn't gone well. A desperate need for information had her marching over to her door but she stopped just short of actually opening it. She didn't want to leave her room and risk running into anyone. Glinda would come talk to her eventually. But eventually wasn't good enough. Her imagination was going to drive her even crazier than she already was until she knew exactly what was going on.

She opened the door, looking in both ways down the hall before stepping over the threshold and starting toward the kitchen. She kept a watchful eye on her surroundings as she went, thankful that no one seemed to care where she was or what she was doing.

"Eadlyn."

Hearing her father's voice had her ducking onto one of the couches in the sitting area near the main foyer.

"Well hello Max." She could make out Eadlyn's cocky smirk as the two men came toward her, stopping just short of discovering her hiding place. "What can I do for you?"

"I, uh..." Max swallowed hard. "I need to talk to you." He gestured nervously with his hand. "About this whole marriage thing."

Addena held her breath. Was her father about to tell Eadlyn he couldn't let her do it? Was he, for once in her life, actually going to stick up for her?

Eadlyn cocked his head. "What about it?"

"Well..." Max swallowed again, obviously trying to choose his words carefully. "I think we have a problem."

"A problem?" Eadlyn echoed his statement. "What kind of problem?"

"You see, uh... Well…"

"I have no idea how you make it in the business world. You stammer too much. If you're going to tell someone something you should just come right out and say it, not..."

"Glinda told the Witch everything!"

It took the meaning of his words a minute to register with Addena. Once they had she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only was her father not going to bat for her, he was ratting Glinda out.

Eadlyn frowned. "What?"

Max nodded. "The Witch knows. She and..."

"Her name is Elphaba."

Max frowned. "What?"

"The Witch, her name is Elphaba. Or as your daughter so affectionately calls her, Elphie."

"Whatever." He waved the information away. "The important thing is they went to find the one who ran away..."

"Breena."

"What?" Max's frown deepened.

"The one who ran away has a name too." Eadlyn explained. "It's Breena."

He paid attention, Addena would give him that. But she couldn't stand hearing him say her love's name.

"Fine. Glinda and Elphaba went to find Breena, happy now? They're going to tell her everything too so they can come up with a plan to stop the wedding."

"Really?"

"Yes."

Eadlyn cocked an eyebrow. "How very interesting."

"Is that all you have to say?" Max shook his head in disbelief. "They know what's going on."

"And?"

"And you made it abundantly clear what would happen to my wife if anyone found out." Max gripped the taller man's arm. "Please don't hurt her."

Eadlyn looked at the hand on his arm in disgust. "Are you still going to give me my money?"

"Of course."

"And has Addena changed her mind about going through with the marriage?"

"No! I mean, at least I don't think she has." He added, "She better not have," under his breath.

"Then what reason would I have to hurt your wife?" Eadlyn pulled out of his grasp. "The only ones who could make me do that are you and Addena."

"What?" Max was flabbergasted. "You mean you don't care about the Witch..."

"Elphaba."

"You don't care that she knows?" He continued as if Eadlyn hadn't spoken at all.

"Why should I?" Eadlyn shrugged. "As far as I'm concerned it's only going to make things more exciting."

"Exciting?"

"You have to admit, it got a little boring around here after Addena so readily agreed to marry me. I mean, I thought I would be in for a little more of a challenge. Even Glinda has been holding her tongue when I know what she really wants to do is lay into me for what I'm doing to your family."

"You mean I..."

"You sold Glinda out for nothing." Addena finished his thought for him as she stood.

"Addena!" Max took a half step back, a look of complete surprise on his face.

"I think she's mad." Eadlyn grinned as he eagerly looked back and forth between them.

"Damn straight I am." Addena agreed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I... You were eavesdropping." Max tried to turn things around on her.

"Bad move." Eadlyn continued his commentary, practically squirming with anticipation as Addena glared at her father.

"How could you stab us in the back this way?"

"Me?" Max scoffed. "I'm not the one who told the Witch about..."

"He already told you her name is Elphaba, so stop calling her a witch." Addena growled. "And I'm not talking about telling anyone about this stupid charade we're all carrying out. I'm talking about the fact that you're our father and could have shown a little bit of loyalty to your daughters by keeping your mouth shut."

"I most certainly could not." Max contradicted her. "Not when you're mother's safety might have relied on it."

"So you did this for Mom?"

"Of course. Why else would I..."

"That's funny." Addena interrupted him. "I thought maybe you did it to hurt Glinda."

"What?" Max looked at her like she was crazy. "Why would I want to hurt her?"

"Don't act so innocent. We both know how disappointed you are in her for loving another woman, let alone one with a past like Elphaba's. Someone might frown on their relationship so you decided to get back at her for possibly damaging your precious reputation. It's what you do best. I of all people should know. I've been a stain on the family name my whole life."

Max furrowed his brow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know." Addena sighed. "That's the sad part." She continued to look at him for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm done."

"Are you kidding?" Eadlyn threw his hands in the air. "That's pathetic. At least slap him or something."

"You and I," she ignored him, concentrating on her father instead, "we're through."

"Addena?" That got Max's attention.

Eadlyn rubbed his hands together. "This is so much better than a slap."

"It's obvious you don't love me. You never have and you never will." She raised her hand to silence him when he opened his mouth to reply. "We both know it's true. As far as I'm concerned, I no longer have a father."

"What? Wait!" Max turned to follow her with his eyes as she walked toward the kitchen.

"That was intense. I guess I won't have to worry about inviting you over for dinner once we're married." Eadlyn clapped him on the shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me."

He went in the same direction as Addena, leaving Max to contemplate what his daughter had just said.

For her part Addena felt better. She might not have yelled and screamed or clawed his eyes out, but she was pretty sure her message got through loud and clear. And she meant every word of it. Even if the others were successful in finding a way to get her out of marrying Eadlyn, she would never speak to him again.

"Make sure they get whatever they need. And send for one of the footmen. We need to get a message to their parents to let them know they're safe."

She arrived in the kitchen in time to find Glinda talking to Bernice, who was looking at their new guests with bewilderment.

"That might not be such a good idea."

The poor woman nearly jumped out of her skin when the Colt spoke.

He didn't notice as he continued. "Our community is still a little leery of humans."

"They wouldn't hurt whoever you sent," the Wolf agreed. "But they probably wouldn't listen to them either."

"I didn't think of that." Glinda fretted.

"I'll summon one of the Monkeys." Elphaba provided a solution. "He can deliver the message and guide their parents here to get them."

"Do you mean one of the flying Monkeys?"

Glinda nodded in response to the Tigress' question. "Yes she does."

"Did you hear that?" The girl squealed. "We get to meet one of the flying Monkeys!"

"I should go have that look around." Elphaba spoke as the Wolf and Goat joined the petite feline in her excitement.

"Promise me you'll be careful, Elphie." Glinda gripped her lover's hand. "Please."

Elphaba pulled her into her arms. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"You shouldn't go at all."

Glinda turned her head to look at the Colt. "What?"

"I don't mean any disrespect." He swished his tail. "It's just that that broom isn't going to be of much good. She won't be able to see through the tree tops no matter how low she flies. And she can't go traipsing around by herself on foot. It's too dangerous and the area is too big for her to search on her own."

Elphaba held tight to Glinda, not wanting to admit he might be right. "Do you have a better idea?"

"I don't know about better, but you could summon the Monkey and let me go with him to my village. My dad is one of the elders. I can talk to him and have a group of Animals here to help with the search by morning."

Glinda pushed back to look at Elphaba. "He's right. You shouldn't be out there alone. What if something happened to you too?"

Addena listened to the exchange with growing trepidation.

"You could use the mirror spell to go to the palace and get some Gale Force guards." Glinda reasoned with her. "They could be here by morning too."

"But what about now?" Elphaba whispered. "She's out there Glinda."

"I know." She lovingly caressed a green cheek. "And we'll find her, Elphie. But you can't do it alone."

Addena couldn't hear what they were saying but from the way Elphaba was acting she knew who they were talking about.

"What's going on here?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when her father's voice sounded in her ear. She was surprised to find him and Eadlyn both standing behind her.

"What are all these..." Max pointed at the children. "Creatures doing in my kitchen?"

"Father?" Glinda pulled out of Elphaba's arms, visibly paling when she saw her sister too. "Dena."

"I asked a question." Max tried again.

"What's going on Linny?" Addean swallowed hard. "What happened?"

"I'll tell her." Elphaba volunteered.

"No." Glinda gripped her hand. "Go do whatever you need to do to summon. I'll take care of this."

Elphaba furrowed her brow. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "But come find me before you go to the palace."

"You know I will." Elphaba leaned in to give her a gentle kiss, meeting Max's disapproving gaze as they parted. "Send for me if you need me."

"I will." Glinda gave the hand she still held a squeeze before letting go. She waited until Elphaba had gone out the back door to turn back to Bernice. "Can you handle the children?"

"Of course Miss Glinda." The maid tried to sound confident but looked at the Animals wearily.

Max frowned. "Certainly you don't think they're going to…"

"Yes they are." Glinda cut him off, leaving no room for argument in her statement as she took her sister's hand, pulling her out of the room.

"Now just a moment." Max was hot on their heels. "What's going on?"

Glinda sighed. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Oh yes it does, young lady. I'll remind you that this is my house and anything that happens under this roof concerns me."

Glinda clinched her jaw. "I don't have the energy to argue with you right now. So keep following us if you must but keep your mouth shut."

Max's eyes went wide. "I won't be talked to in such a manner!"

"You will be if you want to hear what I have to say." It was her turn to contradict him.

"Would you just shut up already and give her a chance to tell us what's going on?" Eadlyn finally spoke as he followed close behind them.

"Go away." Addena didn't even bother to look at him.

"Now is that any way to talk to your future husband?"

"It is if he's an interfering jackass like you." Glinda responded.

"There you go with that temper again." Eadlyn gave her an appreciative look.

"Don't start." Addena tightened her grip on her sister's hand to make her stop. "Tell me what's going on, Linny."

"It's…" Glinda paused, trying to come up with a way of not upsetting her sister too much.

"What? 'It's' what?" Eadlyn impatiently motioned with his hand.

"Ignore him." Addena kept her attention on her sister.

Glinda turned her sister so her back was to Eadlyn and their father. "Breena's missing."

"Missing?" Addena felt like someone had punched her in the stomach.

"Is that all?" Eadlyn interrupted again. "And here I thought it was something important."

"Shut up!" Glinda spat at him.

Eadlyn just chuckled.

Addena shook her head. "What happened?"

"Some trappers attacked those poor babies and their teacher and Breena tried to help. Apparently there have been four other attacks in the last week and the trappers and their victims disappear without a trace." Glinda bit her lip. "None of them have been found."

"None?" Addena put her hand on her chest and drew in a shaky breath. "By the Unnamed God what have I done?"

"You didn't do anything." Glinda was quick to answer.

"Didn't I?" Addena chuckled humorlessly. "I'm the reason she left in the first place. If it wasn't for me she wouldn't have been out there to be... To get..." Tears filled her eyes.

Glinda pulled her into a hug. "This isn't your fault, Dena."

"She's right." Eadlyn agreed. "Who knew she would be such a drama queen and ride off on one of my horses?" He gave Glinda a 'what' shrug when she glared at him. "If it makes you feel any better I'll join the search after the ceremony tomorrow."

"Ceremony?" Addena pulled away from her sister. "There's not going to be any ceremony."

"What?!" Max looked at her like she'd sprouted a second head. "But what about your mother?!"

"Yeah." Eadlyn pointed at her. "What about your mother?"

"You're the one who told me I need to make this whole marriage thing look as believable as possible." Addena turned on him. "How the hell am I supposed to do that when the woman I love is missing?"

Max rolled his eyes. "You don't love her."

"Yes I do!" Addena took a deep breath, trying not to lose it completely. "I can't get married without my wedding party."

"Huh?" Eadlyn was confused.

"Glinda will be my maid of honor, but no self respecting bride gets married without at least two other bridesmaids."

Max frowned. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Elphaba and B..." She fought the quiver in her voice.

"Elphaba and Breena are her bridesmaids." Glinda finished for her.

"So short of her walking through that front door sometime between now and tomorrow morning, we'll be postponing the ceremony indefinitely." Addena found her voice again.

"You can't do that!" Max growled.

"If he wants me to go through with this I can." She looked at Eadlyn. "So what's it going to be?"

"I don't like ultimatums." Eadlyn sighed when he didn't get a rise out of her. "Fine. We'll put off the wedding for a few days but not indefinitely. If she isn't found in two days, we go on with our wedding."

Addena hesitated before saying, "Fine." With that she walked away.

"I hope you're happy." Glinda directed her comment at their father. "She's going to be devastated if we don't find Bree."

Max scoffed. "She didn't seem too broken up over her leaving earlier."

Glinda frowned. "Were we in the same house? She was and still is heartbroken over what she did to Bree earlier."

"She'll get over it."

"Get over it?" Glinda echoed the phrase. "Who are you?"

"I'm your father."

"No father treats one of his children that way."

"Actually he squealed on you for telling Elphaba about everything too." Eadlyn smiled when Max shot him a look. "I wouldn't want her to feel left out as far as your fatherly love goes."

"You what?!" Glinda's mouth hung open in disbelief. "I… You…" She slapped him hard across the face before taking off after her sister.

Eadlyn laughed. "That looked like it hurt."

All Max could was frown as the younger man walked away too.

_A/N Thanks for all the well wishes. My trip was great and, of course, Wicked was the highlight of the whole thing. Stephanie and Kendra are amazing. And I have to say, Hairspray was awesome too. So if you get the chance, go see them both... but if you can only see one make it Wicked. Thanks for reading! You're all wonderful._


	14. Chapter 14

"He's already explained this to you." Fiyero sighed. "Why do you insist on beating a dead horse?"

"Nice choice of metaphors."

Fiyero sighed at the stallion sitting next to him. "You knew what I meant. Why can't you just let this go?"

The Squirrel he was questioning glared. "Did you suffer at the hands of this man?"

"I was beaten and tortured and would have died if Elphaba hadn't turned me into a scarecrow, does that count as suffering?"

"If any of that actually happened."

"Are you calling my credibility into question?"

"Maybe I am."

Fiyero shot to his feet. "Maybe I should..."

"Let's all just calm down, shall we." The Wizard gave a wan smile, knowing his word carried very little clout with anyone else sitting around the massive table.

"No, I think we should let him finish." The Squirrel continued to stare at Fiyero.

"That's enough Rupert." A Dog nearby shook her head. "We all know Master Fiyero has been nothing but a friend to the Animal community. And this bickering isn't getting us anywhere."

"If they would..."

"I wasn't through." She interrupted him. "The Wizard presented some very convincing evidence earlier by bringing in former members of the Merchants Council he spoke of."

"And that's just supposed to make it all better?" The Squirrel gave his version of a chortle. "Doesn't it seem a little too convenient that suddenly there was someone else in charge to blame his atrocities on?" He leered at the Wizard. "If you'd take responsibility for what you did these talks would be going better."

"He has." Fiyero growled. "He asked you here so he could explain how things were but you're not willing to listen. How can we ever have peace if you keep pointing fingers?"

"You're both right." An ancient Cow spoke up. "Pointing fingers isn't doing anyone any good. But it is hard to believe that he had nothing at all to do with the way we were singled out and brutalized simply for being different."

"Especially when he did the same thing to his own daughter." The Squirrel added.

"Now just a minute." Fiyero tried again. "Everyone knows Morrible spread the lies that made people think Elphaba was evil."

The Squirrel shrugged. "Or so you say."

"Speaking of Miss Elphaba, I thought she was supposed to be here." The Dog spoke up again.

"And Miss Breena." An Ox nodded.

"They will be." The Wizard confirmed.

"But why aren't they now?" The Squirrel questioned. "Do you have them locked up somewhere being brainwashed into saying what you think we want to hear?"

"That's enough!" This time it was the Wizard who rose to his feet. "I will sit here and take as much abuse as you want to dole out for what happened when I ruled before, but I will not have my feelings toward my daughters called into question!" He tugged on the lapels of his jacket, willing himself to calm down. "They were called away unexpectedly and will be here soon."

He waited a beat but everyone kept staring at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose my temper."

"You had every right." Lion looked around at the others angrily.

"And it's the first thing you've said that can't be called into question." The old Cow smirked. "Too much conviction not to be true."

"I can assure you everything I've said since your arrival has been true." The Wizard sat back down tiredly. "But I refuse to yell to make you believe me."

"Good." The Squirrel groused.

"Excuse me sir." Cade bowed ever so slightly at the waist as he walked into the room before proceeding to the Wizard. "The kitchen requested I let you know dinner is ready."

"Everyone's or just his?" The Squirrel asked snippily.

"The kitchen already apologized for the mix up at lunch." Cade gave him a look. "The cooks worked together to make sure everyone can eat at the same time."

"Which cooks would that be?" The Squirrel continued.

"Now Rupert, you know very well we brought our own cooks to prepare our food." The Dog shook her head.

"Teamwork in the kitchen." The Cow commented before the Squirrel could say more.

"We could learn a lesson from them." The Wizard mumbled as he stood again. "Can we hold a vote on adjourning for dinner?"

"Father?"

Everyone turned when they heard the new voice coming from the open doorway.

"Elphaba." The Wizard forgot about everyone else in the room as he hurried over to his daughter. "I told you she would be here," he commented as he pulled her into a hug. "And not a moment too soon," he whispered in her ear.

Various "Hello Miss Elphaba"s and "It's nice to see you again"s filled the room as the Animals greeted her as well.

"Hi Elphaba." Lion sheepishly ducked his head as he and Fiyero joined the Wizard.

"Thank the Unnamed God you're here Fae." Fiyero took the Wizard's place in hugging her. "Maybe things will go a little smoother now that you're here to set these knuckleheads straight."

"Let's not burden her with any of that right now." The Wizard waved away his comment. "You look tired my dear. Why don't you go upstairs and rest a bit?"

Elphaba shook her head. "I..."

"She just got here." The Squirrel narrowed his eyes. "What's the matter? Afraid she got away from whoever was brainwashing her before they could finish the job?"

"Brainwashing?" She frowned.

"Ignore him." Fiyero shot the woodland creature a look.

"Indeed." The Wizard agreed. "Some of your things are still in the room you used the last time you were here. Why don't you go freshen up?"

"But..."

"We were just about to adjourn for dinner."

"I need..."

"Someone can come get you once we're done." The Wizard used the index finger of his right hand to tap her on the nose when she opened her mouth to try to speak again. "No arguments young lady. Go."

"You don't have to listen to him." The Squirrel continued to frown. "He's not the boss of anyone here. Unless you count his lap dog guards." He looked distastefully at Cade.

"Do be quiet." The Cow sighed. "You're giving me a headache."

"Yeah." Lion nodded. "Not to mention you're making yourself sound like an idiot with all that brainwashing stuff."

The Squirrel's jaw dropped. "Who are you calling an idiot you traitor?"

"Traitor?" Lion growled. "I'll show you who's a traitor!"

The room erupted in a cacophony of voices as everyone tried to side with one or the other of them at the same time. The Wizard instinctively stepped in front of Elphaba, not wanting her to get caught in the crossfire if fists started flying.

"Stop." Elphaba couldn't believe what she was seeing. "I said to stop!!"

Everyone froze when she raised her voice to make herself heard.

"What in Oz is wrong with all of you? You're supposed to be here to bring piece between the government and the Animal community, not bickering and starting fist fights."

"He..." The Squirrel's voice trailed off when she leveled a gaze at him.

"Sorry Elphaba." Lion hung his head.

Elphaba ignored the comment as she returned her attention to the Wizard. "Father, I need to speak to you in private."

"Great," the Squirrel shook his head. "Now he has you keeping secrets too."

The Dog looked at him in disbelief. "Rupert."

"If she's here for the talks why does it have to be in private?" The Squirrel persisted. "Why can't we all hear what she has to say?"

The Wizard clinched his jaw. "She is my daughter and can speak to me whenever she wishes."

"Maybe it's none of your business." Fiyero glared at him.

The Squirrel glared right back. "No one asked you."

"No one asked you either." Lion countered. "But that hasn't stopped you from running your mouth has it?"

Everyone started weighing in again.

"We don't have time for this." Elphaba gripped her father's arm. "Bree is missing."

He frowned. "What? I can't hear you." He leaned in closer.

"I said Bree is missing." She closed her eyes for a moment when he leaned closer still, obviously not hearing her. "Breena is missing!"

"What?" The Wizard looked as if someone had slapped him.

"Did she say Breena is missing?" Lion realized he was asking the Squirrel and turned toward Elphaba. "Did you say Breena is missing?"

"Miss Breena is missing?" The Ox echoed his words.

"This is awful." The Dog whined.

"Everybody pipe down." The Squirrel gestured with his little paw. "Give her a chance to tell us what's going on."

"Here." Fiyero put his hand on Elphaba's shoulder, steering her to one of the chairs. "Sit down and tell us what happened Fae."

"Thanks." She gratefully sat down. "Now that I have everyone's undivided attention I'm not sure where to start."

"From the beginning." Her father prompted.

Elphaba chuckled humorlessly. "If I did that it could take all night."

Fiyero frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's complicated." She couldn't help but think what an understatement that was. "Far too complicated to get into now."

"Why?" Lion stared at her intently. "What happened?"

"Didn't she just say it was too complicated to go into right now?" The Squirrel sighed. "Moron."

Lion frowned. "You didn't just call me a moron."

"I didn't?" The Squirrel pursed his little lips. "Because I could have sworn I did."

"She did say it was too complicated to get into." The Ox agreed.

"That doesn't mean Rupert has to keep interrupting." The Dog argued.

"I'm not the one who interrupted her with a stupid question." The Squirrel's tone was indignant.

"Oh, so now I'm stupid?" Lion roared angrily.

"Shut up!" Elphaba sprang to her feet. "Didn't you hear what I said? My sister is _missing_! And all you seem to be able to do is argue! What's wrong with you?!"

"Elphaba." The Wizard kept her from saying more.

"I..." She looked around at the shocked faces. "I'm sorry. It's just, the more I say it the more it sinks in." Her eyes finally settled on her father. "She's gone."

"It's all right." He drew her into another hug, looking at the animals over her shoulder. "Could we have a moment alone?"

"No." The old Cow answered. "I think I speak for all of us when I say we'd like to know what happened to Miss Breena."

"Maybe we can help." The Squirrel agreed.

"I doubt that." Lion scoffed.

"It's all right." Elphaba pulled back to look at her father. "They can stay."

"Are you sure?" He couldn't resist the urge to stroke her cheek.

"Yes. The more people who know the better. Maybe then we'll find her."

"What happened Miss Elphaba?" The Cow prompted her to continue.

"We went to Upland Manor to see Glinda and Addena. They're our girlfriends," she added for the Animals benefit. "They received word that their mother was sick and went home to check on her rather than coming to join us here for the talks. Bree and I decided we should stop in to make sure everything was all right before coming to the Emerald City. Just after we got there Breena got upset and took off on a horse.

"Why she got upset isn't important right now. What is important is that when Glinda and I went to look for her we ran into a Wolf pup who told us about some attacks that have been taking place on Animals in that area. There have been five so far and no one can find the men responsible or the people who are taken by them."

"Great Oz." The Ox exclaimed.

"Trappers." The Squirrel whispered.

"Yes." Elphaba nodded. "The cub was on an outing with his teacher and a few of his classmates when they were attacked. He managed to get away and told Breena what was going on. She sent him to find me and went to see what she could do. The other children escaped safely but Breena and their teacher were taken."

"Those poor babies." The Dog gasped.

"And you couldn't find them?" The Cow asked.

Elphaba shook her head. "None of the children could remember exactly where they were in the woods. Even if they could have there was a storm. Any evidence of the struggle would have been washed away. I summoned a flying monkey to take one of the children back to his village to get help and came here to do the same."

"And you'll get it." The Wizard gripped her shoulders. "I'll send the entire Gale Force guard to search if I have to."

"We'll help too." The Squirrel confirmed his words by looking at his counterparts. "We'll send as many as you need."

"Thank you." Her emotions finally got the better of her as tears clouded her vision.

"We'll find her Elphaba." The Wizard held her close. "Cade, pull as many men as you can spare. If they ride all night they can be to Upland Manor by morning."

"Right away." Cade hurried out of the room.

"And we'll get word to our villages." The Cow spoke. "Volunteers from several can be there by morning as well."

"I, uh..." Elphaba wiped at her cheeks as she pulled away from her father again. "I can take a few back with me tonight. If the weather holds we might be able to start the search. If not we can head out at first light."

"I'll go with you." Fiyero offered.

"Me too." Lion nodded.

"I was hoping you'd both say that." Elphaba gave them a grateful look.

"But I can't." The Wizard spoke sadly.

Elphaba frowned. "Father?"

"They've offered to help." He nodded toward the Animals, who were now huddled together, talking amongst themselves. "I need to be here in case they need anything. I'll leave with the guards and whatever Animals head out in the morning."

"I'm sure they would understand if..."

"I have a lot to make up for with them Elphaba." He gave her a half hearted grin. "I need to do this. But you should go."

Elphaba nodded her understanding. "The sooner the better."

"Exactly." He kept a tight grip on her hand. "But you had better be careful. If anything ever happened to one of you girls." He shook his head as his voice trailed off.

"We're going to find her, Dad."

The Wizard didn't trust his voice to answer so he pulled her to him again, praying she was right.

* * *

She tried to open her eyes but they wouldn't cooperate. Neither would her body. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't make so much as a toe move. It was like the lights were off but someone was home.

"You used _what_ on her?"

"A tranquilizer dart."

So she was drugged. That certainly explained a lot.

"But those are meant for animals."

"We didn't have anything else."

Hands started poking and prodding as the voices got closer.

"You could have killed her. Do you realize that?"

Her right eyelid peeled back but her vision was too blurry for her to be able to make anything out.

"She damn near killed all of us. I've never seen a woman fight like that before."

She would have smiled if she could.

"What did she do, slap you and try to claw your eyes out?"

"No. But she did use magic."

She could sense the first guy's interest was peeked.

"Magic?"

"Yeah. She said something and threw a bunch of the guys around before we even realized she was there."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie about something like that?"

"So we have a witch on our hands?"

Damn straight they did. And she couldn't wait to show them exactly what she could do when her body started cooperating again.

"A witch?" Trepidation was evident in the man's voice. "I hadn't thought of it that way."

"Calm down. I have something that will take care of her."

"You do?"

The man voiced her question for her. What did he mean he had something that would take care of her?

"I have something for everything don't I? Now where did I put it?"

Bottles rattled and something fell on the floor as he obviously tried to find something.

"Ah, here it is. Hold her mouth open will you?"

"What?"

"Hold her mouth open." He repeated his instructions.

"But..."

"It's not like she can hurt you. She's unconscious." He laughed. "You're forcing me to tell the others about this, you know that right?"

"Damn it."

She tried to pull away as a strong hand gripped her chin but her body still wasn't responding.

"That's a boy."

Something cool flooded her mouth as soon as it was open, sliding right down her throat.

"There. No more witch."

"What do you mean no more witch?"

"I just gave her a binding potion. She won't be able to use her powers anymore."

Those were the last words she heard before the blackness closed in around her again.


	15. Chapter 15

Controlled chaos. That was the only way to describe the scene at Upland Manor.

Elphaba made several trips between the Emerald City and the manor thanks to the mirror spell, bringing Fiyero, Lion and a squad of twelve Gale Force guards, including their newest captain, Cade, back with her. Elphaba, Fiyero and Cade started setting up a command center in the family parlor while Lion and some of the guards scoured the house for things they might be able to use during their search. Lion was in charge of keeping track of what they were taking so they could pay her family back, despite the fact she told them they didn't have to worry about it.

Addena surprised everyone by coming out of her room to help Bernice and a few of the other guards get the guest wing ready as makeshift barracks for the impending onslaught of visitors. And still more staff members and guards were doing the same thing for whoever might want to use the stables or barn. Her father was staying out of the way by holing up in his study, undoubtedly cursing everyone for invading his house. And Eadlyn hadn't shown his face in quite some time.

Everyone was doing something accept her.

"I think we should split up and enter the forest here and here." The sound of Cade's voice pulled her from her thoughts as he pointed at the map on the table.

"But if we put the men in four groups we can enter from here, here, here and here." Fiyero duplicated his actions. "We'll cover more ground in a shorter amount of time."

"The smaller the group, the more apt they are to get lost."

"Not to mention the trappers." Elphaba agreed with Cade. "They might be able to overpower a smaller group of men."

"Good point." Cade nodded.

Fiyero furrowed his brow. "Armed men?"

"They managed to take one of the most powerful witches in Oz and a Lioness captive along with who knows how many other Animals." Cade reasoned. "It sounds like they have their attacks down to a science."

"You're right." Fiyero sighed. "I didn't exactly think that through did I?"

"You were just trying to help." Elphaba gave him a tired, half hearted grin.

"When I tried to help I got my head bit off." Glinda grumbled from her position behind her lover.

Elphaba looked at her over her shoulder. "What was that?"

"Don't mind me. I'm just being, how did you put it… Stubborn." Was the flip response.

"Can we not get into this again right now?"

"Into what? I'm standing here minding my own business."

"No, you're pouting because I told you you couldn't join the search party."

"Told me?" Glinda scoffed. "You ordered me not to even think about it."

"Glinda."

"Don't 'Glinda' me Elphie. I grew up here. I know those woods better than anyone."

Cade raised his eyebrows as Elphaba finally turned around completely and took Glinda by the arm, leading her away from the table. "Is that what it's always like when they fight?"

"They're not fighting." Fiyero didn't bother to look up from the map.

"They're not?" The captain looked confused.

"Nope."

Cade watched them as they continued to bicker. "I'd hate to see an argument."

Fiyero grinned. "Me too."

"What are you doing?" Glinda tried to pull away.

"I'm talking some sense into you."

"More like trying to tell me what to do again."

Elphaba stopped once they weren't within earshot of the table anymore. "Glinda, I don't need this right now."

The blonde frowned. "Don't need what? Me hanging around?"

Elphaba sighed. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I'll always need you."

"Then why won't you let me go with you?" Glinda asked. "I'm not completely helpless Elphie."

"I know. It's just…"

"Just what? You don't think I can handle it?"

"No, that's not it at all."

"Then explain it to me because I don't understand."

"I can't risk anything happening to you," she blurted out before the blonde could say more. "Just the thought of losing you the way I've lost Bree…" Her voice cracked. "I wouldn't survive."

"Oh Elphie." Glinda caressed her check. "You haven't lost Breena. She's out there and we're going to find her."

Elphaba sighed. "I keep trying to tell myself that, but the longer she's gone the harder it is to believe."

"Then it's a good thing I'm here to remind you." Glinda grinned. "And you could never lose me."

"Promise?"

"I'm yours forever." Glinda closed the gap between them, placing a tender kiss on green lips.

"See." Fiyero nodded toward them. "Arguments don't end with kisses like that."

Cade smiled. "They do if you know how to argue."

"If you two are done being voyeurs you can get back to planning the search." Elphaba tried to sound stern but ended up grinning in spite of herself. She wrapped her arms around Glinda, pulling her close. "Thanks for being my port in the storm."

"Any time." Glinda rested her head against Elphaba's chest.

"I didn't mean to be so short with you earlier. I'm…"

"Overwhelmed." The blonde finished the thought for her. "I really wish you would rest for a while Elphie."

"Glinda, we've been over this too."

"I know, but you're exhausted."

"I'll be fine."

"She's right you know." Fiyero chimed in. "Cade and I can handle things."

"It's really going to be more of a preliminary search for now anyway." Cade tried to help out. "The sun will be down soon and I don't think it would be a good idea to spend too much time in those woods after dark."

"No one asked either of you." Elphaba gave her lover a squeeze. "And I'm not the one you should be worried about. Why don't you go check on Addena?"

"Don't use my sister to try to get rid of me."

"I wasn't…."

"Yes you were." Glinda cut her off. "The way I see it, you have two options. Either I get to go out there with you or you have to stay here and get some rest."

"Glinda," she sighed her name.

"What did I tell you about 'Glinda'ing me? You didn't sleep last night Elphie and you've been on emotional overload all day. Not to mention the energy it took to bring half of the Emerald City here through the mirror. You're worried and tired and wearing yourself too thin."

"But…"

"Pushing yourself until you pass out isn't going to help Breena." Glinda interrupted her. "Stay here. Get a good night's sleep." She put a dainty finger over Elphaba's mouth when she tried to respond. "I don't want anything happening to you either."

"It won't." Elphaba tried to reassure her. "I'll be careful."

"So what you're saying is you're going despite the fact we all think you should get some rest first." Glinda shook her head. "I never took you for a dictator Elphaba. And I certainly never thought you wouldn't trust Cade, a man your father thinks the world of, and Fiyero, one of your best friends, to be in charge for a few hours."

"I never said I didn't trust them!"

"Maybe not outright but you implied it."

"Yeah." Fiyero joined in again, sounding hurt.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "That's hardly fair."

"All's fair in love and war." Glinda quipped. "Especially if it gets you to slow down a little."

"Let me get this straight." Elphaba pulled away from the blonde to pace. "If I stay here and rest you won't give me any more trouble about not going out with the search party?"

Glinda pursed her lips. "I still think I could help, but no. If you agree to get some sleep, I won't say another word about it."

She turned to Cade and Fiyero. "And you two will come get me if you find anything?"

"The very instant we do." Cade assured her.

"You win." Elphaba threw her hands in the air. "I'll take a nap."

Glinda gave her a look.

"Fine." She sighed again. "I'll sleep."

"Good girl." Glinda walked to her, looping her arm through her lover's. "Now come on. I'll take you up to my room and stay with you until you drift off."

"More like stay with her until she wakes up." Fiyero corrected her. "You know she'll be sneaking out of that room the minute your back is turned if you don't."

"Yero." Elphaba looked at him in disbelief.

"You're right." Glinda nodded. "Cade, will you please have one of the guards let Addena know where I'll be in case she needs me?"

The captain nodded. "Consider it done."

Elphaba swallowed hard and drug her feet, stopping their progress as Glinda tried to lead her out of the room. "You're sure you can handle this? I could…"

"Go." Fiyero pointed toward the door. His heart nearly broke when he saw the emotions swirling in the green woman's eyes. "I owe her a lot, Fae. She's important to me too."

She gave a half nod. "I know."

"Then stop lollygagging and go to bed already. The sooner you shut your eyes the sooner you'll be awake and back down here badgering us."

"Badgering?"

He grinned. "Get going."

"Come on Elphie." Glinda starting walking again.

"They're quite the couple aren't they?" Cade watched them go.

"They sure are." Fiyero agreed. "Now let's see what we can do about getting the other lovebirds back together."

* * *

"So you have no idea who she is?"

"None. She just appeared out of nowhere and started helping us."

She groaned as the voices managed to filter their way through the darkness surrounding her.

"I think she's coming around."

"Thank Oz."

Her eyelids fluttered, finally cooperating enough to open. She frowned at the blurry images around her as she tried to sit up.

"Take it easy." A hand fell on her shoulder. "You're…"

"Don't touch me!" She shoved the hand away, somehow making it to her feet only to have her knees give out.

"Whoa."

Strong arms caught her. Or should that have been paws considering the appendages holding her up were covered in fur?

"I'm not going to hurt you, OK?" The one who kept her from falling on her face spoke. "It's pretty obvious you're not strong enough to be up yet."

She found herself eased back down onto whatever she'd been lying on.

"I'm sorry I frightened you."

All she could make out was blonde hair as the one who tried to touch her knelt in front of her. "Addena?" Her voice was scratchy.

"I'll get you some water." A blur moved off to the right.

"Did you say Addena? As in Addena Upland?"

She blinked a few times, bringing the woman before her into focus a little more. "Mrs. Upland?"

"Do I know you?"

"We kind of met once."

The woman's brow creased in doubt. "I'm usually pretty good at remembering names and faces but for some reason yours is eluding me."

"Maybe that's because I had a different face."

"Different face?" The woman frowned.

"My name is Breena. Breena Thropp."

"Not Miss Breena the Animal activist." The Lioness suddenly appeared behind the older woman.

The corner of her mouth turned up at the look of amazement on the feline's face.

"Thropp." Mrs. Upland thought for a moment. "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Miss Elphaba's last name is Thropp." The Lioness supplied.

"She was my daughter Glinda's best friend."

"Still is." Breena tried to clear her throat. "Elly is my sister."

It was the Lioness' turn to frown. "But I thought her sister was killed by…"

"Different sister."

"Oh." The Lioness nodded. "The two of you being related explains your being able to do magic."

"You have powers?" Mrs. Upland was intrigued.

"I'll say." The Lioness offered Breena the cup she was holding, nearly jumping out of her skin when she knocked it out of her hand. "Hey!" She wiped at the liquid drenching the front of her. "It was only water."

"Sorry." Breena brought her hand to her forehead as memories washed over her.

"Are you all right?" Mrs. Upland put her hand on the girl's knee.

"I think..." She frowned, trying to make sense of the fuzzy images in her head. "We fought some men right?"

The Lioness nodded. "Yes. Well, you actually did most of the fighting. They shot us with tranquilizer darts."

Breena nodded. "And brought us here?" Her voice was hoarse again.

"I'll get you more water." Mrs. Upland volunteered.

"No, I'll get it." The Lioness retrieved the cup from the ground and filled it from a pitcher on a nearby table.

"Have I been here the whole time I was out?"

"No." Mrs. Upland shook her head. "They just brought you here a little while ago. I thought I was going to have to tie her down when she woke up and couldn't find you."

"You watched my back." The Lioness shrugged sheepishly. "The least I can do is return the favor."

The comment was lost on Breena. "Then it really happened."

"What happened?" The Lioness handed her the cup.

"Thanks." She peered into it, smelling the contents before taking a tentative sip. Once the moisture hit her parched throat it didn't take her long to down the rest. "Someone gave me a potion to bind my powers."

"What?!" The Lioness was shocked. "Who?!"

"I don't know." Breena shook her head. "It was like I was awake but my body wouldn't respond. I just remember hearing some man say 'she won't be able to use her powers anymore.'"

"No wonder you flipped out when I tried to give you something else to drink."

"You poor thing." Mrs. Upland gave her leg a gentle squeeze. "Have you tried to see if whoever it was is right?"

"Yeah." The Lioness agreed. "Maybe you were having some weird tranquilizer induced dream or something."

"Maybe." Breena sounded doubtful. She looked around, settling on a makeshift chair nearby before motioning with her hand. "Agito."

Nothing happened.

"Absentis." She sighed when the chair still didn't budge. "No. They're gone."

"So much for our ace in the hole." The Lioness half growled.

"Scratch me."

The oversized cat frowned. "What?"

Breena held out her hand. "Scratch me."

"Why in Oz would I want to do that?"

"Because I usually have a healing power too."

"But..." Mrs. Upland stopped short when Breena shot her a look. "It's the only way we'll know for sure isn't it?"

The Lioness' frown deepened. "I don't like this."

"I'm not asking you to claw my hand off. Just give me a little scratch." Breena gestured with her hand. "Please."

"Oh all right." She barely let one of her claws out, gently raking it across the palm of the witch's hand.

Breena's shoulders slumped in defeat when tiny beads of blood were still coming out of the barely existent wound a few seconds later. "Shit!" She instantly looked at the older woman before her. "Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. I probably would have gone with 'well hell' but shit covers it too."

The Lioness stifled a laugh as Breena grinned. "I can see where your girls get their sense of humor."

"How are they?" All sense of levity was gone from her voice.

"When I left them this morning they were getting ready for Addy's wedding." Breena's tone was bitter.

"Wedding?" The older woman repeated the word. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I can assure you I'm not."

"I can't believe Max!" She clinched her jaw. "He's gone too far this time."

Breena frowned. "Who's Max?"

"My sorry excuse for a husband." She growled. "Not long after Addena was born he made a deal for her to marry into the Merrick family in the hopes of landing them as an account for his firm. He didn't even bother to tell me. I overheard him trying to explain the whole thing to Addena when she was all of seven. After I finally got the sordid tale out of him I demanded that he contact the Merricks and tell them it would never happen. I assumed he had until Eadlyn showed up on our doorstep and Max told me some sob story about how he hadn't called the marriage off for fear of losing the Merricks as an account and getting fired and how he never thought the wedding would actually happen."

"But it's going to." Breena interjected.

"I tried to tell Eadlyn to go to hell but he just laughed, made some flip comment on how Max should get better control of his woman and had his men bring me here. Obviously I'm being used as some kind of insurance policy because Addena never would have so much as looked at Eadlyn otherwise." Tears filled her eyes. "My poor baby."

"So your daughter is being forced into an arranged marriage to save you?" The Lioness tried to keep up.

"It would appear so."

"She lied to me." Breena sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "She told me he was some long lost fiancé she thought was dead. She told me she loved him."

Mrs. Upland shook her head. "He must really be threatening me for her to come up with something like that."

"And she knew if I found out what was going on I would do something about it. She pushed me away to keep both of us safe." She made a disgusted face. "And I threw a fit like some damn fool."

Mrs. Upland grabbed her hand. "You love her, don't you?"

"What?" Breena was obviously shocked by the question.

"It's written all over our face."

"I..." Breena stared into the older woman's eyes. "This isn't exactly how I imagined you finding out."

Mrs. Upland smiled. "Love has a way of sneaking up on you."

"Tell me about it. I knew Addy was the one for me the first time I laid eyes on her."

The Lioness pursed her lips. "That's so sweet."

"I'm glad she found someone special like Glinda did with Elphaba."

Breena went back to being shocked. "You know about them?"

"Sweetie, I knew how Glinda felt when she sent her first letter home from Shiz. The only time a girl her age describes someone as unusually and exceedingly peculiar and all together quite impossible to describe is when whoever it is has caught her attention."

"That sounds like something Glinda would say." Breena chuckled.

"She was so devastated when she thought Elphaba was dead. I was afraid she'd never stop crying." She paused. "Can I assume they're together now?"

"Yes they are and they're incredibly happy. When we're not in danger that is."

"You didn't get much down time after the whole Morrible thing." The Lioness was sympathetic.

"Story of my life." Breena groaned as she started to climb to her feet.

Mrs. Upland frowned. "What are you doing?"

"Can't crash the wedding from here can we?"

The Lioness steadied her when she swayed a bit. "We've got to stop meeting this way."

Breena grinned. "Sorry, I'm spoken for." She quirked an eyebrow. "I just realized I don't even know your name."

"It's Penelope, but my friends call me Penny."

"And mine call me Breena, without the Miss."

Penny returned her grin. "Wait until the others get a load of me with you."

"Others?"

Mrs. Upland nodded. "The same men who took the two of you have other Animal captives."

"I can't believe there are still trappers in Oz." Breena frowned. "How can someone justify taking someone against their will to sell them?"

"That's just the thing, they're not selling them." Penny clarified. "They're forcing them to fight."

"Fight?"

"Each other. The men who captured them. Whatever tickles their fancy. And if the Animals try to resist or refuse, they kill them."

"Some of them get killed when they do fight." Mrs. Upland added.

"You mean they fight to the death?" Breena swallowed hard when neither one of them told her she was wrong. "Those bastards."

"And it's not for money or anything." Penny continued. "It's all just some kind of sick joke to them."

"And me without my powers."

Mrs. Upland was quick to say, "That's not your fault."

"Maybe not but like Penny said, it would have been a nice trick to have up my sleeve."

Penny scowled as she started out of the tent. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To stretch my legs." She smirked when Mrs. Upland gave her a doubtful look. "And to scope out the situation for myself."

"That's what I thought." The older woman gave her a motherly sigh. "Just be careful."

"I'll go with her." Penny volunteered. "She'll need someone to take care of her when everyone else finds out who she is."

"Will you be all right by yourself?"

"Don't worry about me dear." Mrs. Upland waved away Breena's concern. "They tend to leave me alone."

"If you're sure." Breena gave her a second to change her mind. "All right. We'll be back in a little while."

"Breena?" Mrs. Upland spoke just as they were about to step outside.

"Yeah?"

"The name's Ginella but my friends call me Ginny."

"All right Ginny." Breena gave her a lopsided grin.

Ginny chuckled as the two youngsters left, feeling hope for the first time in days.


	16. Chapter 16

"I can't believe this." Gregor ran his hand through his hair. "I just can't believe it!"

Mason chuckled. "You're repeating yourself."

"Laugh while you can. You're going to be in deep shit when he finds out about this."

"Why? Because she's human?"

"It's so much more than that."

"I know she was a witch. At least according to some of the guys she was."

"What do you mean 'was?'"

"As in she doesn't have her powers anymore." Mason grinned proudly. "I gave her a power binding potion."

"How do you know how to..." Gregor shook his head. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"That's probably for the best."

"Are you sure it worked?"

"What?"

"The potion."

"My potions always work." Mason rolled his eyes when Gregor gave him a disbelieving look. "The one I gave your for your, how should I put it... manly problems worked didn't it?"

"Shhh!" Gregor looked around as he shushed him.

"Relax. No one else can hear me. Besides, I told you it was just between us." He shrugged when Gregor still looked doubtful. "Fine. Don't believe me. I guess we'll find out when she wakes up."

Gregor's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "You mean you really don't know if it worked?"

"She was shot with a dart covered in animal tranquilizer. I wasn't going to sit around all day waiting for her to come to."

"That's just great!"

"Hey, she brought this on by sticking her nose in where it didn't belong." He waited a beat for a response. "You should see what she did to some of the guys."

"It's nothing compared to what's going to happen to you."

"Would you stop being cryptic already and just tell me what's so special about her?"

"She..." Gregor started to answer but stopped himself short. "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"Did I stutter?"

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because."

"Because why?"

"I just can't."

"Because you're pulling my leg."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are." Mason pointed at him as he breathed a sigh of relief through his nose. "You're getting better at this. You really had me going there for a second."

"I'm not joking around. He's going to be pissed."

"Sure he is."

"Mason..."

He waved him off. "Whatever big guy."

"She's the lover of the woman Eadlyn was so anxious to get here to see. Now can you understand why he's going to be mad? She's seen us both. She knows who we are."

"Wait a minute." Mason raised a hand to shut him up. "Are you saying the woman Eadlyn was so hot and heavy for is into other women?" He laughed outright this time. "That's priceless!"

"And the least of our worries."

"Are you kidding? I'd be pretty worried if the woman I was about to marry would rather shack up with another chick than with me. Imagine what they're honeymoon is going to be like." He laughed again. "Just wait until the other guys hear about this."

That got Gregor's attention. "You can't say anything to them."

"Just try to stop me."

The bigger man's shoulders slumped. "This is why no one ever tells you anything. You have a big mouth."

"Oh come on. Would you be able to keep something like this to yourself? Wait a minute, you didn't did you?"

"No he didn't."

They both froze when they heard the new voice behind them.

Gregor froze. "Please tell me you've learned how to throw your voice."

Mason was deadly serious as he shook his head.

They turned toward the flap of the tent as one, both swallowing hard when they saw a less than happy looking Eadlyn glaring at them.

"What..." Gregor swallowed again in an attempt to wet his suddenly dry throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I would say I was worried because you never came back but that would be a lie." Eadlyn stepped inside, letting the flap close again behind him. "So I'll go with I came to make sure everything was all right instead." He looked back and forth between them. "Everything _is_ all right isn't it?"

"Uh..." Mason gestured with his hand. "Sure."

Eadlyn focused his attention on Gregor. "Is he telling me the truth?"

"Yes." Gregor's voice squeaked. "No." He frowned when Mason gave him a look. "I can't lie to him. He can see right through me."

"You're pathetic." Mason sounded disgusted. "His horse spooked during the storm and he got so lost in the woods that the horse beat him back to camp by a good two hours."

"They have the witch!" Gregor retaliated. "The one that loves your woman. They shot her with a dart and brought her back here as a prisoner!"

Eadlyn shook his head. "I already knew that."

Mason looked confused. "You did?"

"Yes." Eadlyn sighed when he realized they were waiting for him to elaborate. "The Witch and Glinda went out looking for the one you have and came back with a gaggle of Animals. All they could talk about was the way their teacher and Breena fought off a group of trappers so they could escape."

"The Witch?" Mason echoed. "Do you mean the Wicked Witch of the West? Elphaba Thropp? Why would she be looking for our girl?"

"Breena is Elphaba's sister." Eadlyn answered. "That's what families do."

Mason's eyes got big. "Sisters?"

Eadlyn frowned. "Is something wrong with that?"

"No." Mason was quick to recover. "Not at all."

Gregor frowned at him. "Then why did you seem so freaked out by it?"

"I wasn't freaked out." He defended himself. "It just took me by surprise is all. I mean, I thought the Witch's sister was dead."

"That was a different sister." Eadlyn explained. "Now do you want to explain to me why the men were hunting children?"

"They... Uh..."

"Come on Mason." Eadlyn didn't wait for him to stammer around more. "You know they're no good to us until they're grown up. Where's the challenge in killing them?"

Mason nodded. "I know."

"Then I expect you to say something to the others so it doesn't happen in the future. Now let's have a look around camp, shall we?"

"That's it?" Gregor frowned as he and Mason followed him out of the tent. "That's all you have to say about the girl?"

Eadlyn shot him a look over his shoulder. "What else do you want me to say?"

"Aren't you afraid she'll see you here? What if she escapes and goes back and tells everyone what we're doing!"

"She won't escape." Mason jumped in before he could say more. "I gave her a potion to bind her powers," he explained to Eadlyn. "And I've already tightened security around the prisoners in case she decides to try anything. If my potion didn't work the men have been ordered to shoot to kill."

"Your potions always work." Eadlyn grinned. "So she doesn't have powers anymore? That makes things interesting."

"Even without powers I can handle a piece of scum like you."

"Breena." Eadlyn's grin became a full fledged smile as he turned toward the owner of the voice. "Are you saying you're a mere mortal like the rest of us now?"

Penny stepped closer to her friend. "You know him?"

"You could say that." Breena glared at Eadlyn, seemingly unaware of the four men moving in behind them. "This is the bastard who's blackmailing Addena into marrying him."

"So you know the truth." Eadlyn shrugged. "Personally I liked the whole military hero come back from the dead story she came up with, but what's a guy to do?"

"How about leaving her alone?"

"Now what fun would that be?"

"She's not a game."

"That's where you're wrong." Eadlyn contradicted her. "This whole thing is one big game. And I'm already the winner."

Breena clinched her jaw. "Addy will never..."

"Addy?" He cut her off. "Addy." He repeated the nickname. "I like the sound of that. It just kind of rolls right off your tongue doesn't it?"

"Don't..."

"Addena is so boring." Eadlyn stifled a fake yawn. "Addy has a much nicer ring to it. I'll have to try it out when I get back."

"You can't..."

"Of course I can." Eadlyn growled as he put himself toe to toe with her. "You don't seem to understand that I'm in charge here. I can do whatever I want. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

Breena's fist connected with his jaw, knocking him off balance before anyone could react.

Gregor moved a little quicker than Mason, steadying Eadlyn as he staggered backward. The other men surrounded Breena and Penny, two of them grabbing Breena as another leveled his rifle at Penny's head. The fourth hung back a bit, waiting to see what would happen next.

"Are you all right?" Gregor's voice was full of anxiety.

"Let me take a look."

"Stop it." Eadlyn smacked at Mason's hand as he reached for him. "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding." Breena pointed out.

Eadlyn touched his lip, shocked to see she was right. He pulled out of Gregor's grasp, barely waiting to cover the few steps between them before punching her.

"You're quite the man aren't you?" Breena commented, somehow managing to act as if the blow to her cheek didn't hurt at all. "Hitting a woman while two of your men are holding her. Too bad you didn't make me bleed too. Why don't you call them off and take another try?"

"Because I have other people to handle my dirty work for me." Eadlyn retorted. "And they're going to give you a proper greeting to this camp in the morning."

Gregor frowned. "Aren't you getting married in the morning?"

"No actually, I'm not. We postponed the wedding." He narrowed his eyes when Breena grinned triumphantly. "But only for a few days while they look for you. And seeing as you're here, they're not going to find you. So what's a few more days? While your precious Addy thinks I'm off helping with the search I'll actually be here, watching the next round of fights. And you," he tried to cup Breena's cheek, laughing when she immediately pulled away. "You're going to be the star."

"How exciting." Breena's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Act brave now." He leaned in close. "Because tomorrow you'll be begging me for mercy."

Breena stared emotionlessly into his eyes. "I doubt it."

"We'll see." He held her gaze for a moment before turning away. "Mason, get things ready for a gauntlet."

"A..." Mason was obviously surprised. "A gauntlet?"

"Yes, but tell the men to choose their favorite weapon to use instead of the normal clubs. The brave one here can handle whatever they throw her way, right Breena?"

"You can't be serious." Penny finally spoke up. "They'll kill her."

"That's the idea. Can you think of a better way to build morale among my men and be rid of her at the same time? Not to mention you and some of your filthy animal friends." Eadlyn grinned at the look of disgust on the Lioness' face. "You didn't honestly think I'd waste a perfectly good gauntlet on just her did you?"

"It's me you want. Leave her and the others alone."

"That's touching, it really is." Eadlyn clapped his hand to his chest. "But it's too little too late. You should have thought of them before you hit me. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be getting back before someone misses me." He stared at Breena for a moment. "Addy's mine now. You're never going to lay eyes on her again."

Breena smirked. "That's what you think."

"It's what I know." With that Eadlyn walked away.

* * *

"You're a real handful aren't you?" Ginny clucked like an old hen as she gripped Breena's chin, turning her head to get a better look at the bruising forming around the girl's right eye. "It's no wonder Addena is attracted to you. She's a hothead too."

"Well what was I supposed to do, just stand there and take what he had to dish out?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes."

"Hitting him certainly wasn't the solution." Penny added her two cents worth.

"You're probably right." Breena grinned. "But it felt good." Her expression became serious again as she looked at the Lioness. "I'm sorry I dragged you into that whole gauntlet business."

"What's a gauntlet?" Ginny asked.

"It's..."

"Nothing." Breena cut the feline off, giving her a look.

"Don't even try it." Ginny used her motherly tone. "I raised two daughters and know every way there is to get information out of someone. So one of you might as well tell me what I want to know to save me the trouble of amazing you with my skills." She looked back and forth between them, finally deciding which would be the easier target. "Penny?"

"Don't." Breena warned the cat.

"But..."

"There's no sense in worrying her when I've already got a plan." Breena spoke over her.

"So whatever this gauntlet is will worry me? And I suppose you're not going to tell me your plan either." Ginny pursed her lips when she still didn't get a response out of either of them. "Fine. Don't include me. Let me sit here with images of horrible things racing through my mind just because you think I'm too old to handle the truth."

Penny frowned. "We never said anything about your age."

"You didn't have to." She continued. "It's obvious that's what the two of you are thinking."

"No..."

"Like I said, that's fine." Ginny interrupted the Lioness. "I don't need to know."

"Ginella..." Penny tried again.

"No dear, it's all right. Really. Just let me know when to breathe."

"Oh for the love of..." Penny sighed. "A gauntlet is a form of punishment. People form two lines and beat someone with clubs as they run between them."

"What?" The older woman was shocked.

Penny nodded. "Only this time the men are going to get to use whatever weapons they want."

"That's... that's..." Ginny couldn't even form a comprehensive thought. "And you're going to be put through one of these gauntlets?"

Breena was too busy looking at Penny to answer. "Push over."

"Like you weren't about to crack with that whole 'tell me when to breathe' comment." Penny groused.

"You were right about your skills." Breena smirked at Ginny. "I'm impressed."

"Girls. Focus." Ginny kept her attention on Breena. "Answer my question. Are they putting you in one of those awful things?"

"Yes. But it's for a good cause."

"Good cause?" Penny scowled. "They're going to kill you!"

"They're going to kill you?" Ginny echoed her words.

"No." Breena tried to reassure her. "Can we get over the shock factor of the whole gauntlet thing for a moment and think about the big picture for a second?"

"The big picture is you dying." Penny persisted.

"Stop it." Breena chastised her. "Judging from the reaction Eadlyn's announcement got, gauntlets aren't something these guys get to do all the time."

Ginny shivered. "I should hope not."

Penny continued to frown. "What's your point?"

"It's different so they'll all want to take part in it."

"I'm still not following you." Penny shook her head.

"If you'd quit interrupting me and let me finish you would." Breena waited to make sure the Lioness was going to cooperate. "The men are going to be too busy boasting and bragging and thumping each other on the back in anticipation to pay much attention to anything else."

"Including us." Ginny caught on.

"Exactly." Breena snapped her fingers and pointed at her. "While they're getting geared up to have their fun some of you can get away."

"Some of us?" Penny raised her eyebrows.

"It would look too suspicious if everyone disappeared at once. So we're going to have to ask for some volunteers to stay here with me." She felt them both staring at her. "Eadlyn said I'm the star, remember? I have to be here."

"I don't like this."

"He also said they know I'm missing." Breena kept the feline from saying more. "If I know my sister she'll have half of Oz looking for me. It shouldn't take long to come across one of the search parties. I can hold my own in the gauntlet until someone brings the cavalry back."

"I don't know." Ginny looked doubtful. "It sounds pretty dangerous."

"I'm not exactly thrilled about the whole thing either, but it's the only chance we've got." Breena sighed. "If either of you have a better idea, let me know."

"I'd like to say we could all run at the same time," it was Penny's turn to continue before Breena could. "But deep down I know you're right. I hate it, but you're right. And I'm staying with you."

"Penny..."

"Don't argue with me. Being in this thing together has worked for us up until now. Why tempt fate?"

"So you're both going to put your lives on the line while I run away with the others?" Ginny raised her hand to keep them from commenting. "I'm not protesting. I just want to make sure I have the plan down."

Breena grinned. "Then you've got the gist of it."

"So now we go talk to the others?"

"Now we go talk to the others." Breena nodded. "Wish us luck."

Ginny obliged with the most chipper, "Good luck," she could muster.

"Do you think my shiner will help convince them to help us out?"

Penny guffawed. "I'm starting to think you wanted him to punch you."

They continued their banter as they walked out of the tent, leaving Ginny to wonder if they weren't too brave for their own good.

_A/N: I just wanted to give a shout out to everyone's who's reading and reviewing. My muse loves the attention. Yeah for 100 reviews!! Thanks again :)_


	17. Chapter 17

She bit off a scream as she literally flew from the bed, instinctively backing herself against the wall as her eyes drank in her surroundings. Where in Oz was she? What was she doing here? Why was everything so overwhelmingly pink?

It reminded her of Glinda's side of their room at Shiz. Everything, from the bed comforter to the little accent rug on the floor to the floss in the bathroom was pink. Not the same shade of pink mind you. No, everything had to be a different shade so the decor didn't get monotonous. Where the girl managed to find things in so many variations of the same hue was beyond her. It wouldn't have surprised her if there was a store somewhere in the Upper Uplands that sold nothing but…

Her eyes narrowed. The Upper Uplands. That's where she was. At Upland Manor. In Glinda's childhood room.

Most of the night before was a blur. She vaguely recalled Glinda shoving her down on the bed when she tried to convince her she wasn't tired. And she couldn't help but remember the blonde crawling in next to her to cuddle. You didn't tend to forget a body like that plastering itself against yours. At some point she must have drifted off because here she was waking up to sunlight streaming through the window.

And what a sight she would have made if someone walked in right then. Standing there with her wild eyes, messy hair and green as sin skin with the overly pink wall as a backdrop. She took a deep breath, telling herself it was all right to calm down now. Obviously whatever she'd been dreaming about wasn't real. But try as she might something still didn't feel quite right.

"Glinda." The blonde's name slipped from her lips as she took a more controlled look around the room but the woman was nowhere to be seen. "Glinda?" She tried again as she started toward the private bath attached to the room. "Glinda?" The corner of her mouth turned up. "What could you possibly be doing in there that would keep you from answering..." Her voice trailed off as she opened the door to find that room empty too.

"Me?" She finished her thought as she turned back toward the bedroom. Well that was just great. Part of the whole 'I'll go to bed if you'll stop asking to join the search' deal was that Glinda would stay with her until she woke up. Granted it was a condition Fiyero threw in at the last minute, but Glinda had been more than willing to accept it considering they thought she would try to sneak out in the middle of the night.

But what if Glinda was the one who did the sneaking? Could the blonde have waited until she was asleep to creep back downstairs and try to talk to the guys into letting her help with the search?

Surely Cade would tell her no. He was a real men have their jobs and women have theirs kind of guy. And tramping around in the woods was definitely a man's job in his opinion. But Fiyero was a different story. She could still remember the way his friends laughed at him behind his back at Shiz. She had chuckled a few times herself. It was hard not to when he was always at Glinda's beck and call with that 'I'm perfect, you're perfect so we should be perfect together' look on his face.

Well there wouldn't be any laughing this time. There might be some yelling and a little bodily harm thrown in for good measure but there would definitely not be any laughing.

"Elphie."

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Glinda's voice. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the door open.

"I didn't mean to scare you." Glinda tried not to giggle as she put the tray she was carrying on the table by the bed. "How long have you been up?"

Relief surged through Elphaba as she stared at the blonde. She wasn't off working her feminine wiles on Fiyero after all. She was right here, looking at her with an expectantly cocked eyebrow. "Did you say something?"

"Not really." Glinda smirked. "I just asked how long you'd been up."

"Oh." She blushed, embarrassed at the idea of not hearing her the first time. "Not long."

"And here I thought maybe I looked particularly stunning this morning." Her smirk became a full fledged smile when Elphie's blush deepened. She walked toward her with a wiggle in her step, wrapping her arms around her once she got within reach. "Good morning my love." She placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Elphaba couldn't stop herself from grinning as they parted. How did Glinda always have this effect on her? Just moments ago she was a crazy, mixed up, half awake mess who was ready to fly off the handle and now she was gazing into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen like a lovesick fool. And people used to think Fiyero was bad.

Glinda matched the intensity of her stare. "Did you sleep well?"

Elphie nodded. "You saw to that."

"The cuddling was nice, wasn't it?"

"Very."

"We'll have to do it again sometime soon." She gazed at her adoringly. "But for now I've got breakfast in bed for you."

Elphaba tightened her grip around a slim waist when the blonde started to pull away. "I missed you when I woke up."

"Really? Is that because you want my face to be the first thing you see every morning or because you were afraid I went to join the search behind your back?"

She hesitated before mumbling, "A little of both I guess."

Glinda started to giggle until she realized her love was serious. ""Elphie, we had a deal. Did you really think I would go back on it?"

"No." She sighed. "I don't know."

"That's not exactly a vote of confidence."

"I didn't mean it that way." Elphaba was quick to tell her. "It's just... Sometimes you're too brave for your own good. It's almost like you think you have to prove yourself to me or something."

"Sometimes I do."

Elphaba frowned. "What? Why? I've never..."

"No, you haven't." Glinda interrupted her. "But I let you down Elphie. I should have been with you from the beginning and I wasn't. I nearly lost you forever because I wasn't brave enough to admit what you meant to me."

"Linny..."

"Let me finish." She waited to make sure Elphie wasn't going to try to speak again. "Thinking I have to prove myself to you is something I'm probably going to struggle with for the rest of my life. Especially now that I know how wonderful being with you is. But it's something I have to deal with on my own."

"No it's not."

Glinda sighed. "Elphie."

"We're in this life together, Glinda. Together." Elphaba gave her a squeeze. "So I'll help you with the proving yourself thing if you help me with the being overprotective thing." She leaned her forehead against the blonde's. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Glinda held her close. "And I'm sorry for worrying you."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for either."

Honey colored eyes stared into blue for a moment before they moved to kiss each other at the same time. They let themselves get lost in the sensation for a while before pulling apart.

Glinda sighed contentedly. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"This is nice, but we better eat before the food gets much colder."

"I'm really not..."

"Don't even try it." Glinda pointed at her threateningly. "You're going to eat."

"But..."

"We had this discussion already."

Elphaba furrowed her brow. "We did?"

"Well, technically we didn't but eating falls under the same category as sleeping. You have to keep up your strength Elphie. I can't have you falling off your broom because you're weak with hunger."

"Weak with hunger?" Elphaba chuckled.

"It's not funny Elphie." Glinda cupped her cheek. "I worry about you just as much as you worry about me."

"I know." Elphaba covered the pale hand with one of her own. "I'll eat."

"That's my girl." Glinda moved her hand, grabbing the one covering it to drag Elphaba back to the bed.

The green woman used her other hand to point toward the small table by the window. "Why can't we..."

"Because it's called breakfast in bed for a reason."

"But..."

"Don't argue."

"I'm not..."

Glinda pushed her down on the bed. "You might not think so, but you are." She started messing with the things on the tray. "You'll be out there soon enough. And I'll be here, worried sick until you come back." She paused. "So just let me pamper you for a little while." She sighed when Elphie put her hand on her arm. "Fine. We'll skip breakfast so you can get downstairs."

"I was going to say pamper away."

She looked shocked. "Really?"

The corner of Elphaba's mouth turned up. "Really."

"Oh." Glinda's shoulders relaxed a little. "In that case, sit back and I'll take care of everything."

"So this is a full service breakfast in bed." Elphaba pursed her lips. "I'm impressed."

"You should be. I wouldn't do this for just anyone you know. I thought the cooks were going to pass out when I told them I would bring this up here myself."

Elphaba chuckled. "Will it ruin your reputation as an Upland?"

"No. They're used to me doing odd things."

"So I'm odd now?"

Glinda giggled as she sat down on the bed and handed her a plate. "No, you're gorgeous."

"Food and compliments." Elphaba accepted the plate. "I may have to let you do this pampering thing more often."

"I hope so."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they ate, taking turns giving each other loving glances as they did.

"So, was there any news while I was asleep?"

Glinda's heart clinched at her lover's seemingly nonchalant tone, knowing how worried she was about her sister. "No Elphie, there wasn't."

"Oh." Elphaba stared at her plate.

"I talked to Fiyero while I was downstairs." Glinda continued. "There was another storm during the night, so they really couldn't do much. But Cade is out with the men right now. He seemed pretty hopeful that they would find something."

A knock at the door kept Elphaba from answering. Glinda gave her leg a reassuring pat before scooting off the bed to answer it.

"Bernie." The blonde was obviously shocked to see her. "Is something wrong?"

"No miss." Bernice smiled. "I wanted to let you know The Wizard just arrived."

"What?" Elphaba was off the bed like a shot. "My father is here?"

Glinda furrowed her brow at her reaction. "Elphie?"

"My father is here, Glinda." She shook her head. "He's here and I don't have any information for him."

Bernice watched the green woman pace for a moment before turning back to Glinda. "Miss?"

"Thank you for coming to tell us Bernie." She gave the older woman a smile when she continued to watch Elphaba. "It's all right. You can go."

"Are you sure?" Bernice didn't like the idea of leaving them alone.

"I'm positive." Glinda gave her a nod before shutting the door. "Elphie?"

"What am I going to do, Glinda?" Elphaba ran her hand through her hair.

"The first thing you need to do is calm down."

"Calm down?" Her voice went up an octave. "How am I supposed to do that? He's here because Breena is missing. I went to him for help and he agreed. He's going to expect me to know something by now."

"Elphie, he agreed to come because he loves you both. And he's not going to expect anything from you."

"Of course he is."

Glinda frowned as Elphaba slipped her shoes on. "What are you doing?"

"I need to talk to Fiyero before I see my father."

"But I already told you..."

"Something could have changed between then and now." She started out of the room. "Are you coming?"

Glinda hurried to keep up with her, knowing this was something her lover needed to do. She should have realized second hand information wouldn't be enough for her, even coming from someone she trusted. Especially where Breena was concerned. And she couldn't say she would have felt any differently if Dena was the one who had been kidnaped.

Her thoughts came to a screeching halt when she ran headlong into Elphaba's back. She grabbed the green woman's arm to keep herself from falling down, recovering to find they had already reached the makeshift headquarters they established the night before. And there sat the Wizard.

"Elphaba."

He rushed over to them, taking his daughter in his arms. Elphaba stood stalk still, not returning the hug but not pulling away either. He held her, giving Glinda a look over her shoulder but all the blonde could do was shrug. He finally let go, taking a half step back.

Glinda resisted the urge to fidget, wondering what Elphie would do. When they had suffered through what seemed like an eternity of silence she finally said, "How was your trip?"

"Fast." He answered, elaborating more when Elphaba continued to just stand there. "Whoever commissions the horses for the guard certainly knows what they're doing. I'm going to have to see they get a commendation."

"I'm sure they would appreciate that." Glinda bit her lip when Elphaba still didn't say anything. "Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Tea would be great." The Wizard winked at his daughter as he gestured at his throat. "I'm parched from being on the road. And coffee never seems to hit the spot quite like tea."

"Elphaba." Glinda was relieved to see the green woman snap out of her almost catatonic like stare to look at her when she said her name. "Would you like to join us?"

"I can't. I need to get an update from Fiyero."

The Wizard was relieved to hear her voice and said, "An update?" out of reflex in the hopes of getting her to say more.

"Yes. He and Cade have been handling the search so far because..." Elphaba refused to look at him. "Because I was asleep." Her jaw clinched. "So I don't have any news for you."

"Elphaba..."

"You don't have to say it." She cut him off. "I know how disappointed you must be."

"Disappointed?" The Wizard frowned. "Why in Oz would I be disappointed?"

"Because I don't know any more about what happened to Breena then when I came to the palace last night."

"And?"

"And?" Elphaba echoed his question as she finally looked up. "I came to you for help with the understanding that I would be in charge of the search."

The Wizard's frown deepened. "You did?"

"Yes. And I should have been. Maybe then I wouldn't be standing here telling you I have no idea what's going on."

"That's funny." He tugged at the lapels of his coat. "I thought you came to me because I'm your father and you knew I would be concerned about Breena."

"Of course you are." Elphaba gestured with her hand. "That's not what I meant."

"No? Then maybe you meant I shouldn't be concerned about you too."

"Me?" It was Elphaba's turn to frown. "Why would you be concerned about me?"

"Because your sister is missing. Because you were exhausted when you came to see me last night. Because you made Oz knows how many trips between the palace and here using magic that must have drained you more than you already were." The Wizard cocked his head. "Do you get the picture or should I go on?"

"But Bree's the one you should be worried about."

"And you're the one who feels responsible for what happened to her." He held up the index finger of his right hand to keep her from speaking. "Don't deny it. I feel responsible too and I wasn't even here."

Elphaba exhaled through her nose. "That's ridiculous. It wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't yours either."

"But if something like this had happened with Nessa..."

"I'm not Frex."

Glinda swallowed hard as silence reigned again, wondering if she should try to step in and help. Luckily the Wizard spoke, saving her the effort.

"Morrible might not have been worth much, but she was very thorough when it came to recruiting you for me. I know that Frex treated you horribly and that that's what you're used to from the father figure in your life. But I'm not him Elphaba. And if you think I'm going to browbeat you for taking care of yourself you're mistaken."

Elphaba looked confused. "But..."

"There are no buts involved." The Wizard took her hand. "I love Breena and I'm beside myself that she's missing right now. But I love you too. I just got you back Elphaba. And I have a hell of a lot to make up for. I don't know what I would do if I lost you again."

"I..." Elphaba was at a loss for words. "I love you too."

"Thank you." A tear rolled down the Wizard's face as he pulled her into a hug, repeating, "Thank you," in a barely audible voice when she wrapped her arms around him.

Glinda sniffled as she watched them. What she wouldn't give to get her hands on Frexspar. Someone needed to make him pay for the emotional scars her poor Elphie had.

"Well now that we've got that cleared up," the Wizard pulled back to look at his daughter. "Why don't you join Glinda and I for that tea?"

Elphaba wiped at the tears on her face. "But..."

"I spoke to Fiyero." He kept her from saying more. "He's going to take a fresh group of men out as soon as Cade gets back. And he already knows you'll want to go with them. He's going to send for you as soon as they're ready to leave. So until then I insist you keep your old man company by having some tea."

The corner of Elphaba's mouth turned up. "My old man?"

The Wizard nodded. "I've wanted to be called that my whole life."

"Then I supposed the least I can do is have tea with you." Elphaba looked at her lover. "Unless Glinda wants you all to herself."

Glinda knew she didn't have to respond. She took Elphaba's hand and led the way toward the kitchen, a small smile playing across her features when she saw Elphie offer her free hand to her father.


	18. Chapter 18

If someone had told him he would someday have an impromptu tea party with the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good he probably would have had them thrown in Oz Asylum thinking they were crazy. Yet here he was, sitting across from the two women in question, fine china tea cup in hand.

He mentally kicked himself for even thinking of the cursed nickname his daughter had been forced to live with for so long. She wasn't wicked. Hell, she didn't even have a mean bone in her body. All you had to do was watch her with Glinda to know that. Right now they were staring into each others eyes, the love they shared practically pulsating in the air around them.

It warmed his heart to know they were happy together. Elphaba was his daughter and he only wanted the best things in life for her. And Glinda… It was hard to describe his feelings toward the girl.

When she first appeared at the palace with Elphaba he thought of her as a nuisance. Another groupie come to cash in on her friend's good fortune at being invited to meet the Wizard. And after Elphaba ran away he thought she was despicable for not going with her. She claimed to be her best friend yet she let the people of Oz say the most horrible things about Elphaba even as they were growing to love their precious Glinda the Good. But as he watched the Merchants Council get their hooks in her he realized she was a scared, naïve little girl who was just trying to survive. It saddened him in a way, knowing what she had to go through to become the strong young woman who demanded he leave Oz. But on the other hand he knew that transformation was necessary. There was nothing quite like a few hard knocks in life to make you realize what was truly important.

"More tea?"

Glinda's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He grinned as he held his cup out to the blonde he was quickly coming to think of as another daughter. "Don't mind if I do. You make a mean pot of tea Glinda."

She smiled, giving him a, "Thank you," before turning her attention to her lover. "What about you Elphie?"

Elphaba grinned too. "Why not?"

The Wizard watched as Glinda carefully poured the green girl another cup, adding a lump of sugar and stirred it well before giving it back, letting her hand linger on Elphaba's for a moment. They were absolutely adorable together.

Guilt suddenly washed over him. Here they were, safe and sound at Upland Manor drinking tea at the island in the kitchen as if they didn't have a care in the world when Breena was out there somewhere going through who knew what at the hands of who knew who.

Worse than that, he was her father and didn't even know the whole story of what happened. She got upset and rode off into the woods on a horse, but why? What happened to make his normally calm, level headed daughter get so upset?

"Can I ask a question?"

Elphaba looked at him. "Of course you can."

"What happened?" He put his cup of tea down, suddenly not in the mood to drink it. "With Breena. What happened that made her so upset she felt she needed to run away?"

"Uh…" Glinda swallowed hard as she locked eyes with Elphaba, silently asking her what they should say. Telling her lover about Eadlyn had been a necessity. She wouldn't have been able to make it through this whole ordeal without Elphie at her side. But should they tell anyone else?

"It was my fault."

"Dena?" Glinda turned toward the doorway, shocked to see her sister standing there.

"Your fault?" The Wizard watched her walk into the room. "Did the two of you have a fight?"

"It was so much more than that." Addena sighed. "I didn't want to come here. Neither did Glinda. Bree and Elphaba picked up on that. That's why they followed us."

The Wizard frowned. "I thought they were concerned about your mother."

"We were." Elphaba piped in.

"Don't Elphaba." Addena interrupted her before she could say more. "He deserves to know the truth."

"But what about Mom?" Glinda queried. "If Eadlyn finds out he'll…"

"I've come to the conclusion that Eadlyn is full of shit. He's never going to leave our family alone, Linny. He'll just keep torturing us unless we do something about it." She gave the Wizard a baleful look. "But maybe if I tell you the truth you'll be able to help."

"Help with what?" He was more confused than ever. "And who's this Eadlyn you mentioned?"

"He's my fiancé."

"You're what?!" The shocked response came from Fiyero, who had walked into the room unnoticed.

"Oz Fiyero! You scared the life out of me!" Glinda had a petite hand on her chest.

"Sorry. I wanted to let you know an advance rider just came back to let us know that Cade and the others will be here in a few minutes." Fiyero kept his attention on Addena. "And you can't have a fiancé. What about Breena?"

"That's what upset her, isn't it?" The Wizard clinched his jaw. "She found out about your fiancé."

"Yes." Addena's response was barely audible.

The Wizard closed his eyes. "I can't believe this."

"Me either." Fiyero came over to join them. "How could you do something like that to Breena? She loves you!"

"Yero, you don't know the whole story." Elphaba tried to come to her defense.

"There shouldn't be any story to know." He fired back. "You don't tell one person you love them and secretly have someone else behind their back."

Glinda scoffed. "Look who's talking." She blushed when she realized she had spoken out loud. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"

"No, you're right." Fiyero cut her off. "I should have told you about my feelings for Fae from the beginning."

"And I should have told you about mine for Glinda." Elphaba added.

"Not to be rude, but can we table that discussion for another time and concentrate on Breena?" The Wizard looked at each of them in turn before returning his attention to Addena. "I think you have some explaining to do."

"Yes I do." Addena nodded. "To make a long story short, my father used me as a pawn in a business deal when I was a baby."

"A baby?" Fiyero echoed her words.

"He arranged for me to marry Eadlyn in exchange for Eadlyn's father becoming a client with his firm." She continued, ignoring his comment. "The wedding was supposed to happen when I turned eighteen but Father, out of the goodness of his heart, managed to get the date moved back to my twenty-fourth birthday so I could finish medical school." Her tone was bitter. "I knew that's why Father sent for us."

"You mean your birthday is coming up soon?" Fiyero interrupted again.

"Today." Glinda confirmed.

"I'd say happy birthday but it doesn't seem appropriate."

Elphaba smacked Fiyero on the shoulder. "Would you let her finish?"

"I had every intention of telling Father I wasn't going through with the ceremony but I didn't want Bree to know anything about it so I came up with the lie that our mother was sick and Dad wanted me to check on her. Then I begged Glinda to come with me."

"But Father didn't expect us to have a magical assist in getting home." Glinda picked up the narrative. "If we had used one of the carriage companies we wouldn't have arrived until this morning."

"Just in time for the wedding." Fiyero made a disgusted face. "Your father is twisted."

"It gets better." Glinda continued. "He could have avoided all of this by paying Eadlyn off but he didn't want to part with the money. That's why Eadlyn showed up here demanding to marry Dena. Mom tried to tell him to leave and he took her."

"Took her?" The Wizard frowned.

"As insurance." Elphaba answered him. "To make sure Addena would go through with the wedding."

"And after she said she would to keep Mother safe, Eadlyn demanded the money Father had already refused to give him."

Fiyero shook his head. "This is like a bad dream."

"Then Elphie and Breena showed up. I thought they would be able to help us get rid of Eadlyn but he threatened them." Glinda reached for Elphaba's hand.

The Wizard's nostrils flared. "He did what?!"

"He thought it would be fun to make me break up with Breena in front of him." Addena spoke again. "I told him no and he made it very clear that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if I didn't do as he said. So I..." She swallowed hard, obviously trying to keep her emotions under control. "I told Bree he was my childhood sweetheart. That we'd been engaged but I thought he died. She asked me if I loved him and I..." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I told her yes."

Fiyero flinched. "That would definitely upset her enough to make her want to get away from you."

"She was doing what she thought she had to do to protect her." Glinda glared at him.

"And I ended up hurting her worse than Eadlyn ever could have." Addena licked her lips. "That's why she ran away. Why she's missing now." She hung her head, more tears falling. "Because of me."

"Dena." Glinda let go of Elphie to go to her sister, pulling her into a hug.

"You've been through a lot." The Wizard tried to quell the anger he was feeling toward two men he'd never even met. "But I have to ask why you didn't come to me. My daughter loves you Addena." He spoke before she could. "That makes you family in my eyes."

"It all happened so fast. I just wanted to keep my mother safe." Addena pulled away from her sister, letting Glinda keep an arm around her waist as she spoke to the Wizard. "That's not a very good excuse but it's all I've got."

"Well you're definitely not marrying the bastard." Fiyero growled.

"Of course not." The Wizard agreed.

"But he still has our mother." Glinda argued.

"We'll find her too." The Wizard assured her.

"Or beat her location out of him." Fiyero slammed his fist into his open palm.

"Either way, you don't have to worry about him anymore." The Wizard went over to Addena, taking her hand in his. "And when we have Breena back safely you can explain everything to her."

Addena avoided his gaze. "I doubt if she'll listen to me."

"Addena, I already told you, she loves you." He used his free hand to lift her chin, making her look at him. "She'll not only forgive you, she'll insist on getting her fair share of time using Fiyero's method of getting information out of him."

"If we find her." Addena still sounded defeated.

"Oh we'll find her." Fiyero spoke as he and Elphaba joined them. "She's too stubborn to be gone for much longer."

"He's right." Elphaba pursed her lips, regarding the blonde for a moment before speaking again. "Addena, I owe you an apology. I…"

"No you don't." Addena spoke over her. "You were protecting Bree from the woman who had just broken her heart. To be honest with you I think I got off pretty easy."

"You did." Glinda confirmed.

Elphaba shook her head. "If I had known…"

"But you didn't." Addena interrupted her again. "I'm glad Bree has someone like you in her corner. People like all of you."

The corner of the Wizard's mouth turned up. "That's what family is for."

"Master Fiyero!"

They all turned to look at the young man who sprinted into the kitchen, barely managing to come to a stop before bowling into them as a group.

"Yes Milton?" Fiyero sounded annoyed.

"Captain Cade has just arrived with his men sir!"

"Tell him I'll be there momentarily."

Elphaba gave him a nudge and said, "Say please," through clinched teeth so only the former scarecrow could hear her.

"Please." Fiyero added with even more annoyance.

"Yes sir!" The boy made a show of bowing at the waist. "Right away sir!" He bowed again before scurrying back out of the room.

Glinda raised her eyebrows as she watched him go. "Who was that?"

"More like what was that." Addena corrected her sister.

"That's Milton, the youngest member of the Gale Force guard. Cade thought it would be fun to assign him as my assistant while we're here."

"Wow." Glinda gave him a wink. "You're very own assistant."

"More like my own overly hyper puppy to keep an eye on."

"Fiyero!" Elphaba chastised him.

"What?" He rolled his eyes at the look she gave him. "I know, he's just a kid and I should cut him some slack, but you don't know what's it's like to have him following you around everywhere. I'm lucky if he lets me go to the restroom by myself."

The Wizard coughed, trying to cover his chuckle.

"It's not funny." Fiyero pouted. "I had to send him on a wild goose chase so I could sneak off and come in here a few minutes ago."

"You poor thing." Glinda's voice dripped with mock sympathy.

Fiyero narrowed his eyes at her. "I think I'll just go meet with Cade now. Fae, are you coming?"

"Of course." Elphaba nodded.

"So am I." Addena added.

Fiyero gave her a look. "You want to help with the search?"

"Yes."

"Dena I..."

"I can't sit around here doing nothing anymore, Linny." Addena cut her off. "I'd rather be out there where I'll actually know what's going on than here imagining the worst." She added, "Besides, someone might need a doctor," for good measure.

"I was going to say I think it's a great idea." Glinda gave her a reassuring squeeze.

Addena furrowed her brow. "Really?"

Glinda nodded. "Really."

"So do I." The Wizard piped in.

"Then I guess that settles it." Fiyero pointed at her. "But you're sticking close to me. I don't want Breena coming after me if, Oz forbid, something happened to you out there."

"Out where?"

They all turned when yet another new voice sounded from the doorway. Eadlyn gave them a cocky grin for their troubles.

"Well don't just stand there, Addena. Introduce me to your friends."

Addena gave him a dirty look as she finally stepped away from her sister. "This is the Wizard," she used her hand to gesture at the older man. "And this is Fiyero," she repeated the gesture. "That's Eadlyn."

"Eadlyn." Fiyero repeated his name, his hand curling into a fist as he started toward the other man.

"Yes, this is Addena's fiancé." Glinda stepped between them, putting her back to Eadlyn so she could mouth, "Don't do anything rash," to Fiyero.

"We've heard a lot about you my boy." The Wizard took advantage of the distraction to get closer to Eadlyn.

"I could say the same about you." Eadlyn was all smiles. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting the Wizard."

Elphaba tensed as her father scrutinized the younger man for a moment before offering his hand.

"It's a..." Eadlyn's voice trailed off, giving away his shock at the strong grip the Wizard was using on his hand. "Real pleasure." He finished his thought before practically ripping his appendage away.

"Sorry." The Wizard gave him a fake smile. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

Eadlyn flexed his hand. "Think nothing of it."

"I was just telling everyone I'd like to help with the search." Addena spoke as if nothing happened.

"You can't!" Eadlyn realized how forceful he sounded. "I mean, you shouldn't be trudging around in the woods so close to our wedding. What if you sprain your ankle or something?"

Glinda mumbled, "I'm sure Father would be more than willing to carry her down the aisle to you."

"Don't be ridiculous." Fiyero sidestepped the petite blonde. "There will be plenty of us big strapping men out there to keep her safe." He thumped Eadlyn on the back. "Let her help if she wants to."

Eadlyn breathlessly replied, "Maybe you're right," as he tried not to flinch.

"Of course I am." Fiyero thumped him again.

"You said something about volunteering earlier didn't you?"

Eadlyn shot Addena a look. "I might have mentioned it."

"Great." Fiyero gave him another smack. "Now I'll have a chance to get to know the newcomer to the family."

"You're related to the Uplands?" Eadlyn frowned.

"Not by blood, but I think of Glinda and Addena as my sisters." Fiyero gave him a menacing look. "And this way I can keep an eye on you."

"An eye on me?" His frown deepened.

"Yes." Fiyero nodded. "We can't have you going off in the woods by yourself and run the risk of you getting caught too now can we? Not with your wedding right around the corner."

"There's safety in numbers," the Wizard rocked back on his heels and tugged on the lapels of his jacket, silently challenging Eadlyn to contradict Fiyero.

"I never took that into consideration." Eadlyn looked back and forth between them, feeling increasingly uneasy. "Of course I'd be honored to join you. I'll just go get my horse saddled."

"One of my men can take care of that for you." Fiyero offered, not wanting to let the slime ball out of his sight.

"I better see to it myself." Eadlyn countered. "He's kind of skittish around strangers."

"Then I guess I'll meet you out front in a few minutes."

Eadlyn nodded. "I'll be there."

"I hope so." Fiyero grinned. "I'd hate to have to have my men come looking for you so we can leave."

"I won't hold you up." With that he practically bolted out of the room.

Elphaba clinched her jaw as she watched him go. "Do you think he'll run?"

"He wouldn't have the guts." The Wizard assured her. "Not with half the Gale Force milling around outside."

"We won't give him the chance." Fiyero added. "Let's get moving."

"I'll go grab my medical bag." Addena headed out of the room.

"How about you?" Fiyero asked the Wizard.

"Much as I'd like to help I'm afraid these old bones don't take too kindly to traveling." The Wizard pursed his lips. "Have some fun torturing that bastard for me. I'll stay here and help Cade organize the next leg of the search."

Glinda sighed. "I guess I'll keep you company."

"No, I think you should come with us too."

The blonde's mouth popped open at her lover's statement. "What?"

"I want you to come." Elphaba took her hand. "I think it will help with our overprotective, feeling we need to prove ourselves tendencies."

"Oh Elphie." Glinda threw her arms around the green woman's neck.

Fiyero frowned. "Do you have any idea what they're talking about?"

"None." The Wizard clapped the boy on the shoulder. "Be safe and keep an eye on the girls."

"You know I will." Fiyero smiled.

"And you two." The Wizard's walked over to the girls. "Please be careful."

"We will be." Elphaba pulled him into their hug.

The Wizard held them both close for a moment before taking a step back. "You'd better get going."

Glinda stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "Hold down the fort."

"I will." He reached out to cup Elphaba's cheek. "Come back to me. And bring your sister with you."

"I will." She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

He whispered, "I hope so," as they walked away.

Meanwhile Addena was already on her way back downstairs, the satchel she used to carry her medical supplies slung over one shoulder. For the first time since she came home she felt like she was actually accomplishing something. Even if they didn't find Breena while they were out at least she was doing something besides feeling sorry for herself.

"Would you just shut up and listen to me?"

She stopped, letting herself melt against the wall at the bottom of the steps when she heard Eadlyn's voice. He and Gregor were in the front entryway talking.

"You're actually going to help them?" Gregor looked at him like he was crazy.

"I don't have much of a choice now that big brother Fiyero has invited me." Eadlyn sighed. "Just go to the camp and tell the others I'll be there as soon as I can slip away."

Addena frowned. Camp? Others? What was he talking about?

"So you want to cancel the gauntlet?"

"Did I say that?" Eadlyn snapped. "I'm going to need some entertainment after spending time with all of those sad sacks. Tell Mason not to let anyone touch the witch until I get there."

Addena's blood ran cold when she heard the word 'witch' come out of his mouth. Could he be talking about Bree? Was he somehow connected to the trappers?

"All right." Gregor shook his head. "But the guys aren't going to like this. They've been preparing all night."

"Well tell them to drink a little more mead and hold their panties on until I get there." Eadlyn turned his head sharply when he heard voices coming from the direction of the kitchen. "We'd better go. It wouldn't do for anyone to see you sneaking off into the woods."

Addena pushed away from the wall as they hurried outside, her head spinning. She wasn't quite sure what she just overheard but she knew one thing for certain. She had to get to Fiyero and Cade and tell them someone needed to follow Gregor.


	19. Chapter 19

They were going to find her. She could feel it in the very core of her being. Fiyero and Cade were a few feet away, discussing their strategy while Elphaba and Glinda were at the stables getting each of them a mount. Any minute now they were going to ride out into the woods and this time they were going to bring Breena home.

Addena closed her eyes and tried to imagine what their reunion would be like. It would happen in the trappers' camp, of course, because no matter what Fiyero or Cade said she was going to be with whoever followed Gregor. She had to be. She had to know Bree was all right. And Breena needed to hear the truth from her, not someone else.

A voice in the back of her head told her to concentrate on the reunion. The camp would be a rough, run down, depressing place with Animals in cages and big burly men running around with weapons. It wouldn't be easy considering only a handful of men were going with Cade so Gregor wouldn't know he was being followed, but they would fight the trappers. She would spot Breena across the camp and…

"Daydreaming?"

Her skin crawled as hot breath conveyed the whispered words to her left ear.

"I never took you for much of a dreamer." Eadlyn grinned as she turned to face him. "You seem much too straight laced for that kind of thing."

"Don't pretend to know me."

"OK."

Addena had hoped her biting tone would encourage him to leave her alone but it didn't. He just stood there, grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary. "Did you want something?"

"Do I have to want something to talk to my fiancee?"

"Don't call me that."

"Then what should I call you Addy?"

Her heart skipped a beat. "Where did you hear that nickname?"

"Nickname?" Eadlyn frowned. "What are you… Oh," he pursed his lips and nodded in mock understanding. "You mean Addy? I just came up with it. Do you like it?"

"Not coming from you."

"Ouch." He put his hand on his chest. "You better get used to it because that's what I'm going to call you from now on Addy."

Addena closed her eyes, willing herself not to get mad. "Stop saying that."

"Why Addy?"

"Eadlyn…"

"Yes Addy?"

She clinched her jaw. "I said to stop!"

"Or what, you'll pout?" Eadlyn laughed. "Addy, Addy, Addy, Addy, Addy."

"Shut up!" Addena smacked him hard in the chest. "Where is she?!"

"She who?"

"I know you heard that name from Breena. Now where is she?!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Addy."

"Liar!" She started to draw her fist back to punch him but found herself surrounded by furry arms instead.

"What's going on over here?" Lion asked.

"She went a little crazy." Eadlyn pointed at Addena. "Must be the stress of postponing our wedding."

"I'll show you stress!" Addena struggled to get away.

"Whoa." Lion tightened his grip.

The commotion finally drew Cade and Fiyero's attention. They both hurried toward them.

"Addena?" Fiyero scanned her with his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"She attacks me and you ask her if she's all right?" Eadlyn scoffed.

"She attacked you?" Cade sounded doubtful.

"Yes." Eadlyn was quick to answer. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"He knows where she is." Addena struggled against Lion's grasp again. "He knows where she is!"

"Where who is?" Fiyero directed the question at Eadlyn.

"How am I supposed to know?" Eadlyn squirmed under the combined stare of Fiyero and Cade. "I came over here to see if she was ready to go and she started yelling at me. She would have hit me if not for your feline friend here." He gestured at Lion. "Maybe she's afraid I'm having an affair or something."

"Like I'd give a damn if you did you bastard!"

Eadlyn gave the other guys a sheepish smile. "Must be pre-wedding jitters."

"Then maybe she shouldn't go with us today." Fiyero barely quirked an eyebrow at Addena when she started to protest. "The last thing we need is an hysterical female giving away our location."

"I think that would probably be for the best." Eadlyn agreed.

Elphaba and Glinda chose that moment to approach with the horses. "What's going on?" Glinda asked. "Lion, why are you holding onto Dena like that?"

"To keep her from breaking her hand on his face." Lion nodded toward Eadlyn.

Elphaba glared at him. "What did you do?"

"Nothing." Eadlyn looked the picture of innocence.

"He's a liar!" Addena growled.

"Why don't you go talk to your buddy for a minute so we can try to settle her down?" Fiyero pointed toward Gregor, who was standing a few yards away with Eadlyn's horse.

"Is that all right with you honey?" Eadlyn directed the question at Addena, still trying to play his part as the dutiful fiancé.

"Honey?" Lion gave him a look.

Addena glared at him. "Get out of my sight!"

Eadlyn raised his eyebrows. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Just go." Glinda made a shooing motion.

"Addena." Fiyero turned to her as soon as Eadlyn walked away. "What in Oz were you doing?"

"He has Bree."

"What?" Elphaba voiced the question before anyone else could.

"He..." Addena furrowed her brow when she realized she was still being held. "You can let go now Lion."

"Are you sure?" The big cat questioned.

"I was mad at him, not any of you."

"Why were you upset with him anyway?" Lion asked. "He seems nice enough to me."

"Lion." Addena spoke through clinched teeth.

He looked at Glinda. "You know her better than any of us? Is it safe."

"Lion." Fiyero waited until the feline looked at him. "Let her go."

"But..." Lion sighed. "All right. But she's understandably emotional right now, what with Breena missing and all so don't blame me if she smacks one of you."

Glinda patted him on the shoulder. "I think we're safe."

Elphaba only had eyes for Addena. "What makes you think he has Bree?"

"He called me Addy." Addena looked around at everyone expectantly. "There are only two people who have ever called me that. My grandmother, who died when I was seven, and Breena. He had to have heard it from her."

"It does seem kind of coincidental that he suddenly started calling you that." Cade agreed.

"Sounds kind of circumstantial to me." Lion frowned when everyone looked at him. "What?"

"He doesn't know the whole story." Glinda pointed out.

"Lion," Addena put her hand on his paw. "He came here to force me to marry him."

"He what?" Lion was shocked.

She nodded. "And now I'm convinced that it was his men who took Breena."

"Why that..."

"Whoa there big fella." Fiyero caught him by the arm when he started toward the man he'd just been defending. "He has no idea that we're on to him and we want to keep it that way."

"All right." Lion glared. "But I can't guarantee he won't pick up on the fact that I don't like him anymore." He looked at Addena. "I should have let you clobber him."

"You didn't know." Glinda patted him again.

Addena looked at Fiyero. "I hope you weren't serious about me not going with you today because..."

"Take it easy." Fiyero raised his hand to stop her before she could really get going. "Cade and I agreed you should go with his group so I said that to throw Eadlyn off."

"I'm going with Cade?" Addena wanted to make sure she understood what he was saying.

Cade nodded. "You're coming with me."

"But only because if Gregor _does_ go the trappers' camp there might be people or Animals that need a doctor." Fiyero clarified as Elphaba opened her mouth to speak. "Fae, I know you're worried about Breena and would prefer to go with Cade too but Eadlyn knows how adamant Cade was about only having one search party in the woods at a time. If we suddenly said we were splitting into two groups it might make him suspicious. And as much as I'd like to get the chance to beat answers out of him to confirm our suspicions, catching him red handed would make things easier. That way we can officially arrest him and not run the risk of his family paying for some high priced lawyer that might get a judge to agree that we coerced him in any way. And keeping him away from his men will make it easier to take him into custody."

"Wow." Lion looked impressed. "I think that's the most I've ever heard you say at one time."

Elphaba ignored him. "You're right Yero." She sighed. "As much as I hate it, we need to keep up appearances until we know what's going on."

"It will be all right, Elphie." Glinda slipped her arm around the green woman's waist. "Dena will be there for Bree."

"I know..."

"But it's not the same." Addena finished Elphaba's thought for her. "I would feel the same way if it was Linny who was missing."

Fiyero glanced at Eadlyn and Gregor. "We better wrap this up. They're getting antsy."

Cade nodded. "Be on the lookout for Milton. I'll send him to you as soon as we see where Gregor is going."

"We'll keep our eyes peeled. Don't." Fiyero stopped Glinda as she moved toward Addena. "He's going to have to think she's still upset for this to work."

Glinda wanted to protest but knew he was right. "Please be careful Dena."

"You too." Her sister longed to hug her too. "And don't worry Elphaba. I'll bring Bree back to you."

"I hope so." Elphaba nodded.

"What about me?" Lion asked. "Who am I going with?"

"Actually I have a favor to ask." Elphaba fielded the question. "I know there are Gale Force guards assigned to keep my father safe, but I would feel better if someone I trusted was here to keep an eye on him."

"And he's worried about both Elphie and Breena. He needs someone he likes here to keep him company." Glinda added.

"The Wizard likes me?"

Elphaba couldn't help but grin at the question. "What's not to like?"

Lion puffed his chest out. "Then I'd be honored to stay here with him."

"Now that that's settled." Fiyero looked at Addena again. "Can you manage another snit fit?"

Addena responded by slapping him across the face before yelling, "I'd like to see you try and stop me!"

Cade quickly grabbed her to drag her toward the house, Lion following close behind as if to help.

"What are you doing?" She made a show of struggling. "Let go of me!"

"You're staying here and that's final!" Fiyero yelled after her before turning back to Elphaba and Glinda. "I think she enjoyed that." He rubbed his stinging cheek. "Now let's get this show on the road."

* * *

"Look at them." Ginny swallowed hard as she watched the mass of men across the camp. One was sharpening a sword, another was practicing swinging his mace and she could just hear snippets of the conversation a handful more were having, bragging about how they had each ravaged Animals in the past. "How can they have such blatant disregard for other living souls?"

"Because they're sick in the head." Breena didn't bother to look at them. "And they're trying to intimidate us."

"Well they're succeeding."

"Just ignore them."

"Ignore them?" Ginny looked at the younger woman in disbelief. "You seem awfully calm considering that gauntlet is supposed to start in a little while."

"Looks can be deceiving." Breena shrugged. "Besides, what good is it going to do me to be nervous? Whatever happens is going to happen whether I want it to or not."

"I'm not sure whether I should think you're wise beyond your years or just plain crazy."

Breena grinned. "I'd go with a little bit of both."

"Hey." Penny greeted them as she flopped down next to Breena on the ground.

"I take it things didn't go so well with the other Animals this morning?"

"Not at all." Penny tried to wave away their concern. "Everything is fine."

Breena raised an eyebrow. "You're not a very convincing liar."

"I'm going to have to agree." Ginny sat on a tree stump near the girls. "You might as well tell us what happened."

"Nothing. Really." Penny sighed when they both continued to stare at her. "Fine. There are a few who think maybe..." She paused to look at Breena. "They're wondering if you're not working with the trappers. If this whole gauntlet thing is just a scheme to get us all out in the open where they can have a massacre instead of making us fight each other."

"What?!" Ginny tone conveyed the fact she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Breena held Penny's gaze. "You don't believe that do you?"

"Of course not." Penny was quick to assure her. "You're Miss Breena for crying out loud. You've been nothing but a friend to the Animal community. And that's exactly what I told them."

Ginny nodded her approval. "What did they have to say to that?"

"Let me guess." Breena answered before Penny could. "Someone pointed out that I can't be trusted because I'm the daughter of the Wizard. And someone else said I'm dangerous because Elphaba is my sister. Only I'm sure they didn't call her by her given name."

"No they didn't." Penny confirmed.

"That's ridiculous." Ginny snapped. "How can they possibly feel that way?"

"They have a right to their opinion." Breena suddenly sounded tired. "Is everyone questioning my integrity or just a few?"

"Only a handful." Penny answered. "The rest are just as indignant about the whole thing as Ginny."

"So the plan still stands?"

Penny nodded. "Definitely. The ones who do trust the plan are going to make sure the others get out of camp, even if they have to pick them up and carry them."

"Good." Breena relaxed a little. "And we still have the volunteers we need?"

"They're ready and willing to stay behind to make sure everyone else gets away safely." Penny tensed as one of the men broke away from the group and started toward them. "What's he want?"

"It's not time for the gauntlet already, is it?" Ginny started to stand.

"Let's not panic until we see what he wants." Breena shaded her eyes with her hand to look up at the man as he stopped in front of them. "What can we do for you?"

"Mason wants to see you." The man's tone was emotionless. "Now."

"But..."

"I said now!" The man yelled to cut off Penny's protest.

"All right." Breena climbed to her feet. "There's no need to get all huffy."

The man glared at Penny as she stood up too. "Just her."

"No way." Penny shook her head. "If you think I'm going to let you take her anywhere by herself you're crazy."

The sound of a gun cocking made them all painfully aware of the two other men that had come to stand behind the women.

"There's no need to threaten them." Breena put her hands up in surrender. "I'll come with you."

"Damn straight you will." The man grabbed her roughly by the arm.

"Hey!" Penny started toward them.

"Stop." Breena locked eyes with her again. "There's no way Eadlyn will let anyone finish me off but him and he hasn't made his grand entrance yet."

"That's not very comforting." Ginny chastised her.

Breena smirked. "I'll be back."

She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder at her friends as the man literally dragged her across the camp. Sometimes acting brave wasn't all it was cracked up to be. But she had to keep up the facade for a little while longer. She didn't want to give the Animals any more reason to doubt her and she certainly couldn't show any weakness to the trappers. Soon enough she would be back at Upland Manor with Addy. Until then she was just going to have to hold it together.

"Get in there." The man shoved her into a tent, following close behind to make sure she obeyed his order.

A young man turned as soon as she crossed the threshold, frowning when he saw the man shove her down in a chair. "That will be all Harris."

"But..."

"She's hardly a threat." The man cut him off. "Now go."

Breena waited until the man left the tent to say, "Mason, I presume?"

"Yes."

"You're the one who gave me the potion to bind my powers, aren't you?"

He hung his head. "Yes I am. That's why I wanted to see you. To apologize."

"Apologize?" Breena frowned.

"I didn't know who you were when I gave you that potion." Mason clarified. "Or should I say I didn't realize what you were. If I had I never would have messed with your powers."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Breena looked around the tent. "Did Eadlyn sneak into camp so he could hide while you played out another of his sick little games?"

"No." Mason shook his head. "This isn't a joke or a game. This is me trying to apologize to you and make things right again."

"Can you give me my powers back?"

He hung his head again. "No."

"Then I don't think you can make things right again." Breena hissed.

"It's only temporary." Mason was quick to add. "The potion that is. It should only last for about a week."

Breena chuckled drily. "That still doesn't help me out, does it?"

"Of course potions work differently on everyone." He half spoke, half mumbled. "It could wear off sooner or..."

"My powers could be gone forever. Thanks for the news flash, but I already figured that out on my own."

"Look, I'm sorry, all right? Like I said, if I had known who you were I never would have dreamed of giving you that damned potion. Do you honestly think I want to be held responsible for bringing about the downfall of Oz?" He nodded at the look she gave him. "That's right. I know about you and your sister and the power you possess together."

"How?"

"That's not important right now. What is important is getting you out of here." He threw some clothes at her feet. "Put those on."

Breena quirked an eyebrow as she looked at the items at her feet. "Why would I want to do that?"

"So I can sneak you out of here. I've earned Eadlyn's trust enough that no one will question me walking out of camp with another man." He smiled. "Pretty smart, right? Your hair is short enough that you won't even have to wear a hat."

"You're a genius." Breena's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Mason frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means if you think I'm just going to walk out of here with you you're crazier than I gave you credit for."

"But..."

"First of all, I'm not leaving this camp without Mrs. Upland and the Animals. Secondly, I don't trust you enough to believe a word you're saying."

"I..."

"Mason."

"What?" He growled as someone outside the tent interrupted them.

"One of our scouts spotted Gregor walking toward camp. He sent word that he wants to see you as soon as he gets here."

"Great." Mason realized how his less than enthusiastic response must have sounded. "Thanks!" He turned toward Breena again, whispering, "This is your last chance."

"Then you can tell Eadlyn his plan didn't work because I'm not going anywhere."

"Shhh!" He glanced nervously toward the tent flap.

"You can stop pretending now. Guard!" Breena yelled for the man outside the tent. "Or whatever it is you prefer to be called. We're done in here!"

The man stepped into the tent, waiting for Mason to confirm what she was saying. Mason looked at her with pleading eyes but she ignored him.

"Fine." Mason sighed. "Have it your way." He motioned to the other man. "You can take her back now."

"With pleasure." He grabbed Breena's arm, yanking her from the chair and barely giving her a chance to get her footing before dragging her out of the tent.

Mason watched her go, wondering what in the hell he was supposed to do now.


	20. Chapter 20

Practical shoes. Why she was thinking about her choice in footwear at a time like this was beyond her, but she was. She couldn't stop marveling at how much easier it was to get around in the woods in the hiking boots her mother would insist were hideous than it would have been if she'd worn a different kind of shoe. She wasn't one to wear heels. She was short and proud of it and didn't care to try to mask it by wearing shoes that were hard to walk in and hurt her feet. But even the flats she normally preferred wouldn't have cut it out here.

A shocked, "Oh," escaped her lips as she barreled into Cade. He reached back, steadying her with one hand and indicating for her to be quiet with the other before pointing to where Gregor was talking to another man.

"Who do you think that is?"

"I'd say he's a lookout."

"A lookout?"

"Yeah. You wouldn't want just anyone stumbling across your camp would you?"

"Probably not."

Cade shot a disapproving look over his shoulder, silencing the two guards having the impromptu discussion. Not that their talking was keeping them from hearing anything. They were too far away to make out what Gregor and the man were saying. But they hadn't come this far for needless chatter to give them away.

The stranger nodded, shaking hands with Gregor before hurrying back into the woods. Gregor stared at the spot where he disappeared for a moment before continuing on his way. Cade gave him a bit of a head start before motioning for everyone to follow.

Addena mentally kicked herself as they started moving again. Had she actually been thinking about shoes? Here they were following the man who could very well lead them to the woman she loved and she was pondering footwear? What was wrong with her?

She was anxious and nervous and more than a little scared, that's what. What if this was all just a ruse? What if Eadlyn knew she was standing there and made up the whole going to camp thing to toy with her more? It made sense. He knew about the trappers and he knew how upset she was over Breena being missing. And Gregor would do anything Eadlyn asked of him.

But could Gregor act that well? He was pretty convincing as he hung back, using the commotion of the search party leaving to slip into the woods. If they hadn't been watching him like a hawk no one would have known that he went anywhere. And who would notice he was gone? The only person he every spoke to was Eadlyn.

And who was the man Gregor had just been talking to? If he wasn't a lookout like the guard suggested, what was he doing out here in the middle of nowhere? It was pretty obvious from the enthusiastic hand shake they shared that they knew each other. Unless Gregor made it a habit to shake hands with everyone he met.

"Are you doing all right?"

Cade's question pulled her from her thoughts. "What?"

He grinned. "I asked how you were holding up."

"I'm fine." She hoped her answer was more convincing than it sounded.

Cade just nodded and went back to keeping an eye on Gregor, who was a good fifty yards in front of them.

She could see why the Wizard liked him so much. He was friendly and intelligent and the other guards respected him. All very important qualities for the man who was, for all intents and purposes, the Wizard's right hand when it came to anything military. The fact that he was young and could fill the position for many years to come didn't hurt either. But what she liked best about him was his ease around Breena and Elphaba. Some of the other guards still bulked at the idea of being anywhere near them, but not Cade. He led by example when it came to treating the witches properly.

"Listen." Cade stopped, cocking his head to one side, nodding a second later when the faint sound of laughter wafted through the air. "We're close."

Addena's head spun. So there was a camp. But would Breena be there?

"Look." Another guard interrupted her thoughts as he pointed into the forest in front of them.

If they hadn't been following Gregor they probably would have passed the camp by completely. It was nestled in a small clearing surrounded by a particularly thick patch of trees, the trunks of which hid the smattering of tents and fire rings beyond them.

"Close ranks." Cade whispered as they edged their way forward.

Addena instantly started feeling claustrophobic as he and the other guards, six of them in all, formed a tight circle around her. She couldn't see a thing as they continued to walk for what seemed like an eternity. Just as she was about to curse her luck for being so short Cade came to a stop and motioned for the men to spread out again.

"There it is." He whispered to her.

She barely noticed Gregor walking into one of the tents as she drank in the sight before her. There were men everywhere. Big, burly men just like she'd imagined. And the Animals weren't in cages but they might as well have been. They were herded into the back corner of the camp with a handful of men standing guard over them. But it was what she saw in front of a tent nearby that made her gasp. Not only was Bree sitting there talking to a Lioness, but so was her mother.

"Mom?"

Cade turned to her as she uttered the word. "Your mother is in there too?"

Addena mechanically nodded. "She's the one talking to Breena."

"Milton!" Cade called for the younger man. "You know what to do."

"Yes sir!" The boy sprinted off in the direction they'd just come.

"Now what do we do?" Addena didn't take her eyes off the women.

"We wait."

"Wait?" She turned to give him a confused look.

"What else are we supposed to do?" Cade tried to reason with her. "We don't stand a chance against that many men. Especially considering they're all armed to the teeth."

"But…" Addena glanced at Breena again.

Cade furrowed his brow. "Addena, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Eadlyn, he…" She swallowed hard. "He mentioned a gauntlet."

"A gauntlet?" An older guard to her left frowned. "I haven't heard of one of those in ages."

"That's because they're barbaric." Cade gripped Addena's arm. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

"Yes." She nodded. "I know I should have told you sooner, but I got so excited at the prospect of finding Breena that I didn't really stop to think about it. Seeing them," she looked toward the camp, "made me think of it again."

"A gauntlet." The older guard said it again. "That's just insane."

"You did the right thing." Cade reassured her. "If Fiyero or Elphaba had known about this they would have insisted on coming and it would have tipped Eadlyn off. We just have to hope they don't start the gauntlet until the other troops get here to back us up."

A loud whoop went up from the camp, making them all jump. Addena's heart sank as she watched a couple of the men walking toward Breena with wolfish smiles on their faces.

Another guard shook his head. "I don't think we're going to get that lucky."

* * *

"OK Ginny, it's time for you to go?"

The older woman frowned at Breena's words. "Go?"

"Yeah." Breena rolled her eyes to indicate the two men walking toward them as she climbed to her feet. "Go."

"Oh." The older woman swallowed hard. "I've changed my mind. I don't want to leave you here."

"And I don't want you having anything to do with the gauntlet. Go." Breena took Ginny's hand, pulling her to her feet. "Please."

"But I..."

"It's time." One of the men spoke as they reached them, instantly grabbing Breena by the arm.

"Yeah." The other agreed, menacingly brandishing the club in his hand.

"Go." Breena repeated herself. "And tell Addy I love her."

Tears stung Ginny's eyes. "Tell her yourself."

"'Tell her yourself.'" The one holding Breena mimicked Ginny as he pulled the witch closer to him. "When we're done with you you're not going to be able to tell anyone anything."

"Why you..."

"Penny." Breena snapped at the Lioness, stopping her midstride. "You know what to do."

"Yeah." The club wielder gave the feline a shove toward the other Animals. "Go tell your filthy friends their time is up."

Penny clinched her jaw, wanting nothing more than to claw the man's head off. But one glance at Breena reminded her of the plan they had to stick to if any of the captives hoped to survive. So she took Ginny by the hand instead and led her toward her Animal counterparts.

"That's right, be a good little pussy cat." The club man laughed.

"Your time will come soon enough." The other one warned her before half dragging half pushing Breena toward the opposite side of the camp. "Come on." He motioned toward the guards watching the Animals. "They're not going anywhere."

"Yeah." Clubber narrowed his eyes at the Animals that dared to look at him. "They know better."

Breena risked a glance over her shoulder, glad to see the guards were following them. She tried to ignore the bruises she could already feel forming on her arm as they drew closer to the mob of obviously excited men.

"Hello bitch."

One of them stepped forward. She instantly recognized him as one of the men she'd knocked out when she first met Penny.

"I owe you."

He drew back a meaty fist and punched her in the face. The blow would have knocked her off her feet if it wasn't for the vice like grip the other man still had on her arm.

She shook her head, trying to clear away the blackness threatening to close in around her. "Is that all you've got?"

The man smiled. "I'm glad you asked." He punched her in the stomach this time. The crowd around him went wild as she doubled over in pain.

"What's going on out here?" Mason came running out of his tent, Gregor hot on his heals. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw what was happening. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

The one manhandling Breena said, "Getting her ready for the gauntlet."

"And who said we were ready for the gauntlet yet?" Mason asked.

"Gregor's here." One of the men pointed out. "That means Eadlyn can't be far behind."

"Yeah." Another agreed. "We just wanted to warm her up for him."

"Well Eadlyn's not on his way." Mason contradicted them. "At least not yet. He sent Gregor to let us know he's going to be a little late." He walked over to the man holding Breena's arm, prying his hand away. "So I suggest you leave her alone until he gets here."

"But..."

"He's right." Gregor spoke up. "Eadlyn said not to let anyone touch her until he gets her. He's going to be pissed that you went against his orders."

Meaty fist swallowed hard. "But we didn't know."

Gregor scoffed. "Do you really think that will matter?"

Mason bent at the waist so he could look at Breena, who was still doubled over. "I bet you're reconsidering my offer right about now."

"Like hell I am." She spat as she finally managed to right herself again.

"Ouch." He reached out as if to touch her already bruised cheek. "He gave your shiner a shiner. I have a potion that will help with the pain."

Breena chuckled. "Like I'd ever trust anything you gave me."

"Hey!" One of the men at the back of the pack pointed toward the Animals. "They're escaping!!"

"What?!" Gregor led the men back across the camp.

"That was your plan all along wasn't it? Why you wouldn't leave with me." Mason raised his eyebrows. "I'm impressed."

"Ask me if I care." Breena slammed her fist into his face before hurrying toward the fight that had already started between the trappers and the Animals.

* * *

"No!"

Cade grabbed Addena's arm to keep her from running into the camp when Breena got hit the first time. Luckily he didn't have a chance to let go before she got punched againotherwise the doctor might have slipped by him.

"Sir, I think you should see this." One of the guards pointed toward a small group of Animals sneaking away from the camp.

"Well I'll be damned." Cade shook his head. "She's distracting them."

"What do you mean she's distracting them? She's getting the shit knocked out of her!" Addena snapped.

"No, she's giving them a chance to get away." Cade turned her so she could see what he was talking about. "The guards are too busy watching the show to know what's going on."

"She's clever." Another of the guards sounded impressed.

Addena frowned at him. "She's going to be dead if we don't help her."

"I don't think so." Cade watched as Mason and Gregor ran out to the men. "Our boy is telling them Eadlyn's not here yet. From everything you've told us he'd want to be here to see her get worked over."

"He would." Addena grudgingly agreed.

"That's it." Cade encouraged Mason as he took the man's hand off Breena's arm. "Get rid of the buffoon. Give them a little hell." He grinned at Addena. "I think she's safe for now."

"Safe?" Addena looked at him like he crazy. "You call getting beat up and being surrounded by men who want to kill her safe?"

"I just meant we've got a little more time now."

"To what? Stand around with our thumbs up our butts?"

"Addena…"

"Don't sigh at me, Cade." Addena warned him. "Not only is the woman I love over there getting pummeled by men three times her size, but so is my mother. What if it was your family? Would you be able to watch and do nothing?"

"Uh oh." The guard that first spotted the Animals in the first place pointed again. "The jig is up."

"The what is what?" Addena looked back at Breena, shocked to see the men hurrying toward the Animals. "Oh shit."

"That's putting it mildly." Cade ran his hand through his hair.

"What is she doing?" His words didn't even register with Addena as she continued to watch her love. The corner of her mouth turned up when she decked the man standing beside her. "That's my girl!" But her heart quickly fell to her toes as Breena ran toward the now fighting trappers and Animals. "No! Breena, get out of there!"

"We're not going to be able to wait for the others." Cade looked at his men. "We go in hard and fast. Take out as many of the trappers as you can and try to watch each other's backs. Jennings." He looked at the older guard. "Keep her here."

"What?!" Addena's mouth fell open. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Far from it." Cade was quick to answer.

"You can't honestly expect me to stand here and do nothing."

"That's exactly what I want you to do." He confirmed. "I'm sure we'll need your skills when the fight is over. Until then, you're staying put." He motioned to his men and started running toward the camp before she could reply.

"Cade!" Addena called after him. "Cade!!" She turned toward the guard. "Are we honestly going to listen to him?"

"An order's an order ma'am."

"I... You..." Addena growled and started toward the camp.

The guard grabbed her arm. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

"Damn it!" She struggled for a moment before she realized she'd lost sight of Breena. She concentrated on the mob of clashing bodies, hoping to spot her short ebony hair among the chaos.

"She's over there." The guard pointed with his free hand.

Addena didn't thank him. Instead she watched as Breena used a staff to take out two of the trappers terrorizing a Tiger before hurrying toward the group of men surrounding the Lioness and Ginny.

"Mom." Her heart broke at the prospect of watching one of them getting hurt. "Please let me go." She pleaded with the guard. "They need me."

"No, they don't." He added, "But I have a feeling they will soon enough," under his breath.

Addena's hand clinched into a fist as Breena barely stopped a swordsman from stabbing her mother in the back. The man turned on Breena but she easily sidestepped the sloppy swing he took at her, using the staff to hit him in the back as he stumbled past her. He barely had time to hit the ground before another man with a staff of his own quickly gained Breena's attention.

"Let go!" She struggled against the guard's grip, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that something awful was about to happen.

Breena and the trapper exchanged some hard blows before Breena was finally able to bring her staff up, catching him in the chin and knocking him off his feet. But she was too preoccupied to notice the swordsman had made it back to his knees and was taking another swing at her leg.

"No." She shook her head, hardly believing what she was seeing as the blade cut deep into the flesh of Breena's right thigh. "NO!!" She felt sick as blood literally spurted from the witch's wound.

Breena brought the staff around, managing to knock her attacker out before her leg gave way beneath her, spilling her to the ground.

"Breena!" Addena started forward again only to be stopped by the guard. "She's hurt!"

"I know and I'm sorry, but I can't let you go to her."

"Just you try and stop me!" Addena used her free hand to cuff him in the side of the head. It wasn't meant to hurt him, just distract him enough so she could pull free.

"Hey!" The guard tried to catch her arm again but couldn't move fast enough to keep her from sweeping his legs out from under him.

"It's amazing what you can learn in a self defense class." She looked down at him. "Now get up and come help."

With that she sprinted toward the camp, offering up a silent prayer that she would get to Breena in time to help her.


	21. Chapter 21

To say Ginny was stunned as Penny led her in the opposite direction as Breena was putting it mildly. She herself had mentioned the gauntlet to the girl earlier, but on some level she didn't actually think it would happen. Part of her hoped and ultimately believed they would be saved by someone long before anything took place.

But that obviously wasn't going to happen. Breena would be at the mercy of those maniacs while she escaped with the Animals. Would she ever be able to forgive herself for walking away? Would her daughter ever be able to look her in the eye again after she told her Breena's last words?

A chill ran down her spine at the thought. Addena wouldn't blame her for whatever happened to Breena, but she would always associate her mother with losing someone she loved. And she knew her daughter well enough to know their relationship would never be the same again. She would never be the same if she let this happen without trying to stop it.

"Sorry, the first group just left." A Porcupine's voice drew her from her thoughts. "We've been ready all night and we didn't want to wait too long once the guards left so... If she had been a little closer we might have been able to send her with them but she was way over there with you and..."

"She can go with the next group." Penny cut off her nervous ramble.

"No."

The Lioness frowned at the Porcupine. "Excuse me?"

"I..." The Porcupine swallowed hard as she raised her paws in a 'don't hurt me' gesture. "I didn't say anything, I swear. It was..."

"Me." Ginny finished the thought for her. "I can't do this Penny. I can't just abandon her here."

"You're not."

"Aren't I?" She challenged the big cat. "Am I doing anything to help her?" She waited half a beat for a response before saying, "That's abandoning her in my book."

"Uh..." The Porcupine pointed toward the next group of Animals sneaking away from the camp. "They're, uh..."

"We worked this out earlier." Penny ignored the quilled creature. "The others are going to make sure you get back to your house safely so..."

"I can get help." Ginny spoke over her. "But that was before I watched them dragging Breena away. Did you see how many men there are over there? By the time I get to the house, explain what's going on and try to tell someone where this camp is, it'll be too late." She looked at the Lioness beseechingly. "For both of you."

"I appreciate that you're trying to watch out for me. And I'm sure Breena does too, but we'll be fine." Penny nudged her toward the next group of Animals gathering. "Now go."

Ginny shook her head. "I can't."

Penny sighed. "But..."

"Great Oz!"

"They've spotted us!"

The Porcupine's eyes grew wide in terror. "Run!!"

All hell broke loose around them as the Animals panicked. Someone shoved past Ginny, knocking her back into Penny, who instantly pulled her against her body to keep her out of harms way.

"They're coming!" A Bear stopped next to Penny. "What do we do?"

"Yeah." The Bear's son joined them. "We're here to help."

"So are we." A couple of Dogs spoke at the same time.

"I, uh…" Penny shook her head. "I don't really know. Breena was the mastermind behind the escape plan."

"Then I say we fight." The Bear growled. "What other choice do we have if we want the others to have a chance to get away?"

"None." One of the Dogs commented before running into the group of trappers that was almost on them.

"Go." Penny tried to shove Ginny toward the quickly disappearing Animals.

"No." The older woman shook her head. "I'm staying until I know Breena is safe."

"Then stay behind me." Penny pushed Ginny back as a man rushed her.

It didn't seem real. Everywhere she looked were Animals and men and yelling and bloodshed. It was enough to make her want to curl up in a ball somewhere until it was all over. But she couldn't do that. She had to be strong and start paying closer attention if she wanted to survive to...

The clash of wood and metal behind her had her turning in time to see Breena sidestepping a man with a sword before cracking him in the back with the staff in her hands.

"What's a woman like you doing in a place like this?" Breena gave her a lopsided grin as another man with a staff starting fighting with her. "Give me a second to take care of this guy and you should have a straight shot into the woods."

Ginny opened her mouth to tell the girl she was coming with her but flinched as the staffs smashed together, knowing anything she said would be lost in the racket. So instead she watched, mesmerized by the fluid movements of both fighters. Maybe if she had been paying attention she would have seen the swordsmen getting to his knees and reaching for his weapon. But she didn't. She had no idea what was about to happen until she heard Breena cry out in pain just as she knocked her opponent out.

"No!" Penny vocally reacted before the older woman could.

Breena somehow managed to use her staff to take care of her attacker before crumpling to the ground.

"Breena!" Penny made short work of the men around her before running to her friend's side.

One of the men nearby said, "What the hell is coming out of her?!"

The older Bear wrinkled his nose. "Whatever it is, it's green."

"Green?" One of the trappers echoed. "What if it's toxic?!"

Breena looked up at Penny as she knelt next to her. "My blood is green like..."

"Your sister's skin." Penny finished for her. "Is that why you wouldn't let me see your hand when I scratched you before?"

"It's not exactly..." Breena clinched her jaw against the pain in her leg. "Normal."

"Blood?" Another trapper scowled. "Blood can't be green."

"I heard she's a witch." Another spoke up. "So it's probably some kind of potion."

"She's trying to kill us!" Yet another man panicked.

Penny raised her eyebrows as the circle of fighters around them widened considerably. "That helps."

* * *

_I have to get to Bree. I have to get to Bree. I have to get to Bree._

The thought played over and over again through Addena's mind like a mantra, keeping images of Breena being hurt at bay. She couldn't think about the wound until she saw it. If she did she would get to her girlfriend with preconceived notions of how she should treat her. The last time she'd done that Bree had kissed her to keep her distracted as she pulled a piece of mirror out of her stomach and healed her. She'd been convinced she was going to die that day. But Bree hadn't given up on her and she had no intention of giving up on the witch either.

She was too deep in thought to see the tree root until her foot caught on it. And she was running too fast not to take a nasty spill.

Normally she would have laid there once she stopped rolling and let herself hurt as she took mental stock of her injuries. At the very least she would have raised her hand to her stinging cheek to try to stop the warm flow of blood she could feel on her skin. But not today. She barely hit the ground before she was back on her feet, checking to make sure she hadn't lost any of her medical supplies as she continued her mad dash to Breena.

Saving the life of the woman she loved was the only thing on her mind again as she waded into the fight.

* * *

The word 'blood' rang through Ginny's senses as she continued to stare down at Breena. The man was right. Blood couldn't be green. Yet Breena was laying there, getting paler and paler, her body starting to shake, as more and more of the fluid saturated the ground beneath her.

"What?" She snapped out of it when she heard Penny say something.

"A tourniquet." The Lioness repeated herself. "She's losing too much blood. We have to find something to stop the bleeding."

"Right." Ginny looked around, her eyes coming to rest on the swordsman's belt.

Penny frowned as the older woman leaned over the unconscious man and started pulling at his pants. "What are you doing?"

"Taking this." Ginny held the strap of leather up like a treasure.

"Perfect." Penny reached for it.

"You shouldn't still be here." Breena's voice was weak and breathless as Ginny knelt at her side opposite Penny.

"Like your in any condition to be telling anyone what to do." Ginny tried to keep her tone light, taking Breena's hand as Penny eased the belt under the girl's injured leg.

"I'm sorry." Penny resisted the urge to bite her lip when Breena hissed, hating that she was causing the girl more pain.

"Do it." Breena breathed more than said the words.

She did as she was told, quickly tightening the belt around the woman's thigh just above the freely bleeding gash. Breena closed her eyes and clinched her fists, biting off a whimper of pain as what little color was left in her cheeks faded and her body continued to shiver.

"You still with us?" Ginny questioned as she ran her hand over the girl's cold, clammy brow.

Breena barely nodded in answer.

"Mom?"

Ginny's head snapped up when she heard the all too familiar voice. "Addena!" She let go of Breena to hug her daughter as she fell to her knees next to her. "What are you doing here?!"

"That's a long story that can wait until later." Addena swallowed, trying to catch her breath. "Right now we need to concentrate on Bree."

"Addy?" Breena opened her eyes.

"Hey." Addena leaned in closer, trying not to let her emotions get the better of her as she looked down at her girlfriend.

"You're... hurt." The witch frowned. "They... hurt you."

"No." Addena pushed her back down as she tried to sit up. "I was in such a hurry to get to you I tripped."

"Liar."

Addena couldn't stop the corner of her mouth from turning up. "It's true."

Breena lifted a shaking hand to the blonde's torn cheek. "Klutz."

"Yeah." Addena put her hand over the one on her cheek. "Can't leave you alone for a day can I?"

Breena managed a weak grin. "Apparently... not."

"Don't worry. Between your healing power and my doctor's touch we'll have you as good as new in no time."

"She doesn't have her powers." Penny pointed out.

"What?" Addena was clearly shocked by this revelation.

"They gave her a potion to bind them." Ginny explained.

"Those bastards!"

"Watch your… language." Breena teased her. "There are… ladies… present." Her chuckle died in the throat as she clinched her teeth against a fresh wave of pain.

"No more talking." Addena chastised her. "You need to save your strength." She moved to examine the wound. "And I need to be able to see this better."

"Here." Ginny reached for the sword laying nearby. "You can cut her pant leg with..." The sound of Addena using her hands to rip Breena's pants cut her off. She quickly dropped the sword. "Never mind."

Her words were lost on Addena as she studied the deep gash running diagonally from just above Breena's right knee to the middle of her thigh. "The blade must have nicked the artery. That's why she's losing so much blood." She looked up at Penny. "Did you think of the tourniquet? No offense to you Mom, but you've never been very good in a medical situation."

"Tell me about it." Ginny agreed. "That's why I was so shocked when you said you wanted to go to medical school."

"I've read a few books on medicine." Penny shrugged.

"You bought us some precious time." Addena gave her a grateful look.

Penny nodded. "What else can I do to help?"

Addena slipped her medical bag off her shoulder with one hand, keeping the other pressed against Breena's leg. "There's a bottle of alcohol in there."

"Getting me... drunk?" Breena quipped.

"Not quite." Addena answered. "I'm going to use it to clean out your wound so I can get a better look at it. Now shut up and save your strength."

"Addena!" Ginny reprimanded her.

"It's... all right." Breena grinned. "I'm... used to... it."

"Here." Penny handed Addena the bottle of alcohol.

"Thanks." She took it before leaning in close to Breena again, her heart hitching in her chest when she saw she was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. "This is going to hurt like hell."

"I... know."

Addena gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Stay with me Bree."

She didn't wait for a response before pouring the alcohol over the wound, telling herself Breena was just another patient as the woman's back arched in agony. She started to reach for her medical bag only to have Penny hand her an already threaded needle.

"I read about stitching too." Penny explained.

Under different circumstances Addena might have acknowledged the comment in some way but she was on autopilot. That's how she operated best as a doctor. Just let the training take over so none of the outside emotions could interfere. And the Unnamed God only knew she was due for a major breakdown once she was through with Breena.

She quickly dumped the rest of the alcohol over her hands and the needle to sanitize them before starting the task of finding the tear in Breena's artery. Once she did she mechanically made the small, even stitches she had perfected while she was still in school.

"I... I don't think she's breathing." Ginny stammered.

Addena continued the task at hand, oblivious to the comment as she finished with the artery and moved on to stitching the wound closed.

"Yes she..." Penny looked down at her friend. "Sweet Oz you're right! She's not!"

"She's..." Ginny choked on a sob. "She's dead."

That got Addena's attention. "What?"

"She stopped breathing." Penny had tears in her eyes.

"No." Addena tried to disagree with her, her heart sinking when she saw the feline was right. "No!" She put her fingers against Breena's neck, paying no mind to the bloody mess she was making of her love. "Damn it Bree!" She cursed when she didn't feel a pulse. "You said you would stay with me!"

"Addena..." Ginny tearfully reached for her daughter.

"She's not gone." Addena avoided her. "She's not!" She double checked for a pulse before tilting Breena's head back and breathing into her mouth.

"What are you doing?" Ginny was obviously shocked by her actions. "Stop that this instant!"

Penny got up to grab her. "It's a resuscitation method."

"What?!" Ginny couldn't believe what she was seeing as Addena straightened up and started using both of her hands to pump on Breena's chest.

"She's trying to help her." Penny explained.

"It looks more like torture!" Ginny countered.

Addena didn't pay any attention to either of them as she continued with another round of breaths and compressions. This would work. It had worked for Glinda and it would work for Breena. It had to. She couldn't lose Breena. Not now. Not like this.

"Addena." Penny spoke gently as she put her paws over the woman's hands. "It's too late."

"No it's not!" Addena yelled.

"It's been a couple of minutes now." Penny pointed out. "She's gone."

"No." Addena shook her head. "No!"

"I'm sorry Dena." Ginny put her arms around her daughter. "I'm so sorry."

Addena stared down at a motionless Breena through tear blurred eyes. Her worst fears had come true.

She'd lost Breena forever.


	22. Chapter 22

Glinda sighed as she watched Elphaba, wishing she had spoken up and suggested they ride tandem instead of separately like she considered when they were picking out the horses at the stables. Then she would be cuddled against her lover's back, offering what support she could by holding her close. Instead she was watching her as she rode a few paces ahead, lost in thought.

She should have been used to Elphie's moodiness by now. The woman could go from sweet and attentive to angsty and brooding in two seconds flat. Glinda hadn't noticed it as much since they reunited but it obviously still happened. And it certainly wasn't any easier to watch. From the first moments of their friendship it drove her crazy to know the green girl was hurting and there wasn't anything she could do about it until Elphie decided if she wanted to open up to her or not.

At least with Eadlyn around she didn't have to guess what was upsetting Elphie. She wanted to rip him limb from limb too for what he was putting Dena through. But they couldn't. Not until they were sure he had something to do with Bree's disappearance.

"If looks could kill he'd be dead about a million times over already."

Glinda was so startled she nearly toppled out of her saddle. "Fiyero!"

"Sorry." He chuckled. "I thought you heard me riding up. But obviously you and Elphaba were too busy having a contest to see who could burn holes in the back of Eadlyn's head first." He grinned. "You make quite a pair."

"It's not funny." Glinda chastised him. "He's riding up there like he doesn't have a care in the world while we're all back here on pins and needles." Her voice dripped with anger. "He's hurting Elphie, Fiyero, and there's nothing I can do about it."

"She hasn't said much since we left the house has she?"

"Try anything at all."

"That's not good." Fiyero glanced at the green woman. "It's scary when she gets too quiet. You don't know what's going through that head of hers."

"I hope Cade finds something soon. Maybe then Elphie can relax and we'll finally be rid of him," Glinda nodded toward Eadlyn.

Fiyero followed her gaze just in time for Eadlyn to turn his head to the right, almost as if he was checking out something in the distance. It wasn't very long before he faced forward again.

"Did he just look at us?" Fiyero asked.

"I think he did."

"Is it just me or does he seem kind of nervous all of a sudden?"

"That looked more calculating than nervous to me." Glinda continued to watch him. "I think he's trying to decide if he can slip away without anyone noticing."

"I'm not so sure." Fiyero narrowed his eyes.

"Glinda's right." Elphaba turned in her saddle to address them. "He's been doing that every few minutes for a long time now. If you didn't have guards surrounding us he would have made a break for it already."

Fiyero grinned again as they caught up with her. "Nice of you to rejoin the land of the living, Fae."

"I've been here the whole time Yero." Elphaba quirked an eyebrow. "And don't call me scary again."

Glinda smiled. "It's good to hear your voice."

Elphaba reached for her hand. "I'm sorry I worried you my sweet. I guess between watching him and trying to work through all the thoughts in my head I got a little lost."

"You came back, that's the important thing." Glinda gave her hand a squeeze.

"Master Fiyero!"

Elphaba furrowed her brow. "Did you hear something?"

"I thought I did." Glinda listened for a moment. "Maybe not."

"Master Fiyero!"

Fiyero's eyes got big as the voice got closer. "It's Milton."

"Why are you saying it like that's a bad thing?" Glinda frowned. "He's what we've been waiting for."

"Maybe so, but we don't want him announcing what's going on to everyone." Fiyero lifted his chin in Eadlyn's direction.

"Then don't just sit there." Elphaba made a shooing motion with her hand. "Go meet him before he has a chance to…"

The boy suddenly crashed through the brush a good twenty yards behind them. "We found the camp!"

"Shit." Fiyero wheeled his horse around. "Milton!" He called out to him as he spurred his mount into action.

"Master Fiyero!" The boy waved. "They have the girl and Miss Glinda's mother!"

"Shhh!" Fiyero tried to quiet him down.

"My mother?" Glinda's frown deepened.

"Captain Cade said to send your men right away!"

"Damn it." Elphaba hissed as Eadlyn spurred his horse into a gallop.

Fiyero chose that moment to turn in the saddle. "Damn it," he repeated her sentiment as he started back toward them. "Don't let him get away!"

Elphaba started to open her mouth but Glinda beat her to it, pointing with her right hand as she shouted, "Agito!"

The spell hit Eadlyn in the shoulder, knocking him off balance. He tried to stay in the saddle but couldn't keep a tight enough grip on the reins. The horse finally threw him before bolting off into the woods. He barely hit the ground before he was on his feet again, trying to avoid the guards who were quickly upon him.

"Concido." It was Elphaba who cast this time, sweeping Eadlyn's legs out from under him.

"Nice work you two." Fiyero congratulated them. "I had no idea you could do that Glinda."

"Neither did I." The blonde stared at her still outstretched hand in amazement. "I mean, Bree told me I didn't need a wand and I've performed a couple of other spells but never anything that powerful. It felt…" She shook her head, trying to come up with the right word.

"Exhilarating?" Elphaba finished for her. "Emotions play a big part in it." She climbed down from her horse as the guards brought a struggling Eadlyn toward them, her voice turning frosty. "Especially when you're pissed off."

"Keep your cool, Fae." Fiyero dismounted too. "He's in custody now."

Glinda let Elphaba help her down, keeping a strong grip on her lover's hand after her feet were on the ground.

"What are you doing?" Eadlyn glared at Fiyero as he was brought to a stop in front of the group. "What's the meaning of this?!"

"You're being arrested." Fiyero said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Arrested! For what?!"

"Oh, let me see…"

"Do you know who I am?!" Eadlyn interrupted him.

"You're the bastard who's been putting my sister through hell." Glinda growled at him.

"Easy tiger." Fiyero gave her an appreciative look before turning his eyes toward Elphaba. "I think you're rubbing off on her."

"And I think you're all crazy!" Eadlyn spat. "What grounds do you have to arrest me?!"

"What grounds don't we have?" Elphaba fired back. "Extortion, kidnapping, trying to force someone to marry you."

"Being an all around ass," Fiyero added.

Eadlyn ignored his comment. "I haven't extorted anything from anyone. And I wasn't forcing Addena to do anything she didn't want to do."

"You're a liar!" Glinda started toward him.

Elphaba took a half step forward, putting herself between him and the blonde. "I see you conveniently left out kidnapping."

"That's because it's too ludicrous to even consider!"

"You have my sister!"

This time it was Fiyero's turn to put himself between the girls and Eadlyn as Elphaba took a menacing step toward the man. "Look, why don't you just make this easy for all of us and confess to what you've done."

"Because I haven't done anything!" Eadlyn protested.

"So you're not holding my mother against her will?" Glinda snarled.

"And you haven't been kidnapping Animals for who knows what kind of sick games?" Elphaba chimed in. "You didn't order your men to take Bree?"

"And you have no idea why your right hand man went straight to the camp where Mrs. Upland, the Animals and Breena are being held after we left to start the search this morning?" Fiyero put in his two cents worth.

Eadlyn shrugged. "Gregor always has been the secretive type. Obviously he…"

"Don't even try it!" Glinda cut him off. "Dena overheard you telling him to go to the camp!"

Fiyero nodded. "We know you're involved."

"Prove it." Eadlyn gave them a smug smile.

Elphaba started to lay into him but felt an all too familiar sensation settle over her as the world around her disappeared.

"We plan to." Fiyero sneered.

_People. Everywhere she looked were people. _

"No offense sir, but you really don't have time for this." Milton spoke as he finally reached them. "All of the men in that camp were heavily arms. Captain Cade and the others won't stand a chance against them without reinforcements if something happens."

Glinda swallowed hard. "Fiyero?"

_Glinda was at her side, tears streaming down her cheeks as she kept a tight grip on her hand._

"You four make sure he doesn't try anything funny while I go talk to the other men."

"Yes sir." One of the guards gave a barely visible bow.

_Her father was at her other side, his face a mask of grief as he looked at something on the ground._

"Milton." Fiyero turned to the boy. "Can you lead the others to the camp?"

The boy nodded. "Of course I can."

_She followed his gaze, shocked to see a coffin slowly being lowered into a grave._

"That a boy." Fiyero clapped him on the shoulder. "Wait here." He addressed Glinda and Elphaba.

"But…"

"I can't have the two of you going into a potentially dangerous situation." Fiyero interrupted Glinda. "I'm going to send the men ahead and then we'll follow with him," he shot Eadlyn a nasty look.

_Her heart hammered in her chest as she frantically searched the faces around them, trying to find who was missing. _

"Bree is in that camp and Dena is with Cade." Glinda countered. "We should get to leave with the rest of the men."

Fiyero shook his head. "I can't let you do that."

_There was Betak, holding onto Lion for dear life. And Yackle and Maeve._

"Tell him I'm right Elphie." Glinda waited a beat before looking at her lover. "Elphie?"

_Directly across from them was Addena. Her head was bowed, her shoulders shaking with sobs as she clung to another, slightly older blonde._

Fiyero frowned when she didn't respond. "Fae?" He waved his hand in front of her unseeing eyes. "Elphaba?" He shook his head. "She's not there."

"Of all the times for a vision." Glinda sighed. "Go talk to the men."

_There was only one thing that could upset the doctor that much. One face that she hadn't seen in the crowd._

His frown deepened. "Are you sure?"

Glinda nodded. "She usually comes out of these pretty quickly."

_Breena._

Eadlyn cocked his head at the green woman as Fiyero jogged away. "Is she having some kind of fit?"

"It's none of your concern." Glinda snapped.

"Oh, I see." Eadlyn nodded. "The lights are on but nobody's home." He snorted. "What a freak."

Glinda clinched her jaw. "Shut up!"

_She searched the faces again, trying to convince herself she was wrong. Bree was there somewhere. She had to be. She wouldn't miss a funeral that half of Oz had turned out for. Unless…_

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Eadlyn was anything but sincere.

"What part of shut up don't you understand?" One of the guards gave him a shake.

_No, it couldn't be._

The sound of thundering hooves drew everyone's attention as the rest of the guards left.

_Breena couldn't be… Her sister wasn't…_

Eadlyn took advantage of the situation to pull his right arm free, quickly grabbing the knife hidden in his right boot and stabbing both the guards who had been holding him before either of them could react.

_Her heart stopped as the casket lowered even more, revealing the beautifully engraved letters on the ornate emerald green headstone overlooking the grave._

He was ready for the other two guards as they tried to rush him, using their own momentum against them to dive between them without being touched.

_Breena Thropp. Beloved sister, daughter, friend and lover. Gone too soon._

"Elphie." Glinda shook Elphaba's arm as she watched Eadlyn stab one of the remaining guards in the back before ripping the sidearm the man carried on his belt out of its holster. "It's time to wake up now." She flinched as Eadlyn shot the last guard in the chest. "Elphie!!"

"Hey!" Fiyero ran toward them, his own gun drawn. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

_Breena was dead._

Eadlyn grabbed Glinda's arm, forcefully pulling her away from a still catatonic Elphaba. "Stay back!" He pulled her in front of him, using her as a shield. "Or she gets it!" He planted the barrel of the gun against her temple.

_Her sister was dead._

"Take it easy." Fiyero kept his gun leveled on the other man, desperately trying to find an opening to take a shot.

"Drop your gun!" Eadlyn shoved his own weapon harder against Glinda's head when Fiyero hesitated. "Drop it!!"

_The people slowly started to move away._

"All right." Fiyero made a show of lowering the gun. He hated to do it but he couldn't risk Glinda. Elphaba wasn't showing any signs of coming around and she would never forgive him if something happened to the blonde. "Just don't hurt her."

"Wait!" Eadlyn shouted so loud he made an already terrified Glinda jump. "Throw it away instead!"

Fiyero frowned. "But you said…"

"I changed my mind!"

_Her father put his hand on her shoulder, not saying a word before turning away, tears streaming down his cheeks._

"OK. Calm down." Fiyero switched his grip on the weapon.

"What are you doing?!" Eadlyn panicked.

Fiyero held up his free hand. "Just making it easier to throw."

Eadlyn rolled his eyes. "Stop stalling and do it already!"

_Lion brought Betak over, who promptly drew her into a bear hug. "She loved you. Never forget that." With those words the old woman bustled away._

Fiyero sighed as he chucked the gun toward the woods. So much for keeping it close at hand in case he got the chance to use it.

"Very good." Eadlyn smiled. "Now die." He pointed the gun at the former scarecrow and pulled the trigger.

"_Come on, Addena." The older blonde spoke. "There's nothing more you can do here." Addena gave her a heartbroken look over her shoulder as she let herself be led away from the graveside._

"Fiyero!" Glinda screamed as he slumped to the ground.

"You don't have to worry about him anymore." Eadlyn whispered in her ear.

Her stomach turned as his breath caressed her skin. "Let go of me!"

"I don't think so." He pulled her even closer.

"_I'm so sorry Elphie." Glinda wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "Take your time. I'll be here when you're ready to leave." She let of her hand and took a couple of steps back._

"You see, I still need that money from your father. And I'm willing to bet he'll shell out even more for you than he would have for your sister." He groped one of her breasts. "That's what you get for being Daddy's little girl."

_She started down at the grave, her head spinning._

"Stop!" Glinda tried to wiggle away from him again.

"I don't think so." He fondled her even more aggressively. "You're mine now."

"I'll never be yours. Elphie!" She called out to her lover.

_She kept telling herself it couldn't be even as the truth started to weigh heavily on her heart._

"Elphie!" Eadlyn mocked her. "You're precious Elphaba can't help you now. And I'm going to make sure she won't be a factor ever again."

"No." Glinda struggled even harder as he pointed the gun at the witch. "Don't!"

"_I can't believe you're really gone." The sound of her own voice shocked her._

"Elphaba!!" Glinda managed to grab his gun arm, sending his first shot wide to the right.

"Damn it!" Eadlyn quickly regained control. "You made me waste a perfectly good bullet." He slammed the butt of the gun into the side of her head, holding her up when her knees buckled in pain. "Now hold still while I shoot her."

"_I'll miss you every day." She reached down to pick up a handful of dirt, letting it rest in her palm for a moment before sprinkling it over the coffin. "I love you."_

"No!" Fiyero suddenly sprang to his feet and ran at Elphaba, tackling her a split second after Eadlyn fired again.

"_Goodbye Bree." With that she walked away too._

"Elphie?" Glinda's voice was weak as she blurrily took in the sight of her lover and Fiyero sprawled on the ground together, neither of them moving.

"Shh." Eadlyn soothed her. "It's only us now Glinda." He lovingly stroked her cheek. "And just think of the fun we're going to have together."

Glinda wanted to cry but gave into the darkness closing in around her instead.

"That's it." Eadlyn swung her up into her arms and headed for the nearest horse. "Rest now. And when you wake up we'll be so far away no one will ever be able to find you."


	23. Chapter 23

None of it was real. That was the only explanation that made any sense. There was no summons from her father. No Eadlyn. No telling of lies. No disappearances. Any second now she would wake up next to the lake in Munchkinland, safe in the arms of the woman she loved. A few comforting words and a gentle kiss or two from Bree and this whole nightmare would be forgotten.

"Dena."

She heard the voice but didn't react. It wasn't the one she wanted to hear. And that was the wrong nickname. She only wanted to be Addy. Not Addena or Dena, just Addy. That's who she was when she was with Breena. And being with Bree was what she wanted more than anything else in the world.

"She's in shock." Another voice cut in.

Shock... The word rang through her senses, trying to draw her attention to something. But what? Why was it suddenly so important?

"Can you blame her?" The first voice replied. "She just lost Breena."

Lost Breena? What were they talking about? She with her right now, her head in her favorite spot on the witch's chest. But something didn't seem right. Why wasn't Breena laughing or talking? Why weren't Bree's arms wrapped tight around her, holding her close? It was too still. Too quiet. Almost as if the hum of existence that made Breena Bree was gone.

Reality hit her like a slap to the face, pulling her from her stupor. She sat up, her eyes instantly drinking in the sight of Breena lying there, bloodied and pale.

"No."

"Addena?" Ginny tried to gauge her daughter's state of mind.

"No." She repeated the word with a shake of her head.

Ginny pulled her closer. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. She was..."

"No!" This time she ripped out of her mother's grasp to lean over Breena again. "You're not gone." She covered the woman's mouth with her own, sharing her life's breath. "Do you hear me?" She felt along that precious ribcage to find the perfect spot before starting her compressions. "You're not gone!"

"Addena, I know you're upset but..."

"Are you a doctor?" Addena cut Penny off. "No? That's what I thought." She started another round of resuscitation.

"Don't take this out on her, Addena." Ginny gently chastised her daughter. "She's only trying to help."

"She was in shock Mom." Addena spoke as she continued her work. "The body shuts down when that happens and sometimes it takes a little longer to get them back. That's what happened to her." She paused to give Breena another breath. "She lost too much blood too fast and her body couldn't take it."

Penny shook her head. "But it's been..."

"She's going to come back to me!" Addena interrupted her again. "She has to!"

"She can't." Penny contradicted her. "It's been too long. Even if you did get her breathing again she stands a good chance of having brain damage. Is that what you want for her?"

"Yes! As long as she's here with me I don't care what's wrong with her!"

"Addena, listen to what you're saying." Her mother's tone was still gentle, as if she were talking to a child who was refusing to give up their security blanket. "You have to think about what she would want."

"She wants to be with me!" Addena angrily continued her compressions. "That's all she's wanted since we met. And no matter how much I pretended I didn't want her or pushed her away, she didn't stop trying." She swallowed hard. "And she wouldn't want to stop now." The tears she'd been holding back started streaming down her face. "She wouldn't stop trying."

"Oh baby." Ginny reached for her.

"No." Addena refused to be comforted. "She saved my life by not giving up on me and I'll be damned if I'm going to give up on her!" She raised her fist high, slamming it down against Breena's chest. "Don't!" She repeated the action. "Leave!"

"What are you doing?!" Ginny frowned at her.

"Me!!" Addena hit her again.

They all three froze as Breena's body jerked and she sucked in a breath.

"Is she breathing?" Penny's eyes were big.

As if on cue she coughed, spurring Addena into action again. "Bree?" She used both her hands to cup her love's cheeks. "Breena?"

Breena groaned.

"Come on." Addena encouraged her. "Come back to me."

"Addy?"

Breena's voice was barely audible as her eyes fluttered open but it was like music to Addena's ears.

"Yeah baby." The blonde had fresh tears running down her cheeks only this time they were tears of joy. "I'm right here."

Breena furrowed her brow. "Don't cry."

"Sweet Lurline! You did it!" Penny continued to stare at the couple for a moment before turning her attention to Ginny. "She did it! She brought her back!"

"She brought her back." Ginny echoed her words, finding the whole situation just a little too much for her to handle.

"They're good tears." Addena stared down into the green eyes she adored before giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. "I love you Bree."

"Love you too." Breena tried to grab her for another kiss but couldn't get her arms to cooperate.

"Take it easy." Addena was quick to pick up on her frustration. "You're going to be pretty weak for a while."

"Don't wanna be."

"Well you're going to be so you'll just have to let me take care of you."

"With kisses?" The corner of Breena's mouth turned up in a grin. "And sponge bathes?"

"Sponge bathes?" Addena wrinkled her brow.

Breena nodded. "To keep my goodies from getting dirty."

"Bree!" Addena's mouth popped open in disbelief. Just moments ago she was fighting to bring her love back and now here she was blushing over something she said.

"You're beautiful when you blush." Breena started to chuckle but flinched in pain as her battered torso protested. "What did you do to me?"

"I didn't give up on you." Addena cupped her check again. "And we can discuss your dirty goodies later. Right now you need to rest."

"But..."

"Don't argue with me Bree."

"Fine." Breena sighed. "I'll let you figure out what to do with ugly and uglier."

They were too caught up in Breena coming back to life to notice the pair of trappers looming over them. The taller of the two tapped the club he carried in his right hand against his left palm as he started at them.

"Don't stop on our account." The shorter man beside him grinned.

"Yeah." The tall one gestured toward Breena with his club. "Whatever you were doing to her looked like fun. All that kissing and touching her chest and hitting her."

The short one nodded. "Kinky."

The club wielder nodded too. "And who doesn't like kinky?"

"Or blondes?" The short one started to reach for Addena's hair.

"Don't you dare!" Breena tried to sit up but didn't make it very far before her eyes slammed shut in pain.

The man quickly drew his hand back. "Did she just die?"

"No." Addena snapped.

"She looks kind of dead to me." The tall one stated.

Breena hissed, "Well I'm not," through clinched teeth.

"Are you sure?" He persisted. "You're awfully pale." He poked her in her injured leg with his club.

"Stop that!" Penny and Addena's voices merged. Penny was quick to knock the weapon away as Breena tried not to cry out in agony.

"Hey!" Club man glared at her.

The Lioness held his gaze. "I suggest you leave."

"Or what?" Shorty challenged her. "We're not going anywhere until we get what he came for." He nodded toward Addena and Ginny.

"Us?" Ginny pointed at herself. "We're not going anywhere with the likes of you."

Club man laughed. "Oh yes you are."

"Yeah." Shorty agreed. "And just what do you mean by 'the likes of you?'"

"She means scum of the earth men who have to get their jollies off of the suffering of others." Penny answered.

"Watch it kitty." The taller one gestured menacingly with his club. "You're starting something you aren't going to be able to finish."

Penny climbed to her feet. "We'll just see about that."

Shorty glared at her. "Why don't you run away with the rest of your filthy Animal friends and leave the blondes with us?"

"You're going to have to go through me to get to them." Penny growled.

"And me." Cade chose that moment to suddenly appear.

"Ew." Club man made a face. "Now I'm really scared."

"You..." Breena fought through her pain to speak. "You should be."

"Nice to see you're still with us, Breena." Cade risked a glance at Addena. "Don't worry about them, just take care of her. Then we'll see what we can do about getting you out of here."

"You're not going anywhere!" Shorty rushed him.

Penny and Cade made good on their word, keeping the trappers away from Breena as they started to fight.

"Kick their asses." Breena cheered them on.

"Stop it." Addena chastised her as she examined her leg, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw the internal stitches had held.

"Ow, ow, ow." Breena squeezed her eyes shut.

"I know it hurts." Addena tried to soothe her as she reached for her medical bag.

Ginny swallowed nervously as she watched her daughter pull two bottle of liquid and a couple of syringes out of the bag. "What are you going to do with those?"

"They're not for you." Addena assured her.

"I'll just go over there." Ginny quickly got up and took Penny's vacant spot on the other side of the witch just to be safe.

"What's wrong?" Breena asked her.

"She's afraid of needles." Addena answered.

"Yes I am." Ginny agreed. "So I'll just sit here and keep you company."

"I'll protect you." Breena tried to reach for her hand, growling when her body still wouldn't cooperate. "It feels like I'm made of lead."

"You lost a lot of blood Bree." Addena spoke matter of factly as she filled the syringes from the bottles. "You've got to give your body time to heal."

"Here." Ginny gripped the girl's hand in her own, furrowing her brow at how cold she was. "Dena, she's like ice."

"But I have a warm heart."

Ginny looked confused. "What?"

"Cold hands warm heart, Mom." She gave her girlfriend a look. "It's her way of trying to be funny."

"What is that?" Breena asked as the doctor put one of the needles in her arm.

"An antibiotic."

"Oh my." Ginny paled at the sight of the syringe.

Breena gave her hand a barely perceptible squeeze. "Don't look."

"And this," Addena quickly stuck her with the other syringe. "Is a mild sedative."

"What?" Breena frowned.

"Is that wise?" Ginny joined her protest. "Considering what she's already been through?"

"Like I said, it's mild." Addena leaned in close to Breena. "And I can't have you all bright eyed and bushy tailed while I'm trying to work on your leg."

"But…"

"I don't have any pain medications or anesthetic with me, Bree. I have to finish stitching the wound and I won't be able to do that if you're in pain." Addena spoke over her. "And you really do need to be resting right now. Wearing yourself out isn't helping anything."

"You're tired of me already?"

"Never." Addena shook her head as she started running her fingers through Breena's hair, knowing the effect it had on her.

"Quit." Breena tried to get her to stop.

"Don't fight it, Bree. Just let go. I'll take care of you."

"I..." Breena fought to keep her eyes open. "I love you."

"I love you too." Addena placed a soft kiss on her forehead and kept stroking her hair until Breena was out again.

"That didn't take long." Ginny kept her grip on Breena's hand as Addena got back to her stitching. She watched her daughter for a few minutes before speaking again. "Is she going to be all right?"

"If I have anything to do with it."

Ginny's eyes softened. "You really love her, don't you?"

Addena nodded without looking up from what she was doing. "With all my heart."

"Sorry that took so long." Penny spoke as she rejoined them. "A few of their buddies decided to try to help them." Her face fell as she looked at Breena. "What happened? Why is she unconscious? Did she start bleeding again? Is she..."

"No, no." Ginny stopped her from saying more.

"I sedated her so I could finish her stitches." Addena explained.

"How bad is her leg?" Cade asked as he came to stand over them.

"Better then it was." Addena put the finish touches on her work, knowing it wasn't the best she'd ever done but beggars couldn't be choosers. Maybe when her powers kicked back in the scar would heal with the rest of her leg.

"Dena?"

She looked up when she heard her mother's voice.

"The officer was asking you a question." Ginny cocked her head toward Cade.

"Sorry." Addena apologized. "What were you saying?"

Cade gave her an understanding look. "I asked when you thought she'd be ready to move."

"Normally I wouldn't like the idea of moving her at all but in this case, as soon as possible. The sooner we get back to the house the better."

"I'm glad you feel that way." Cade seemed relieved. "I'll get a couple of the men to cover us and..." His voice trailed off as a commotion erupted across the camp. "What in the name of Oz is going on over there?"

Penny followed his gaze. "It looks like someone's riding into camp."

"Great." Ginny rolled her eyes. "That's just what we need."

"Actually, I think it is." Cade smiled. "That's the cavalry we've been waiting for!"

"It's a long story." Addena waved away her mother's questioning expression before looking at Cade again. "Does this mean we might be able to get a wagon to take her back?"

"I think that can be arranged." Cade was still beaming. "Give me a minute." With that he ran toward the newcomers.

"Thank goodness this whole ordeal is nearly over." Ginny turned to her daughter. "Right dear?" She frowned when she didn't get a response. "Dena?"

"Huh?" Addena looked up from absentmindedly running her fingers through Breena's hair.

"Look at them." Penny spoke before Ginny could. "Those bastards can run but they can't hide. I hope the Gale Force captures them all."

Addena took advantage of the two of them being distracted to run her hand over Breena's brow, trying not to let the heat she felt building there concern her. "Just hold on, Bree." She swallowed the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "Hold on."


	24. Chapter 24

"Ow." Fiyero groaned as his senses started to come back to him. Pain kept them at bay for a moment longer, making the blackness at the edge of his awareness seem pretty inviting. But something told him to push through instead.

His first coherent thought was that he was glad he was lying down because he was pretty sure his legs wouldn't have held him up just then. His second was that his mattress sucked.

"It's only us now Glinda."

He frowned when he heard the voice.

"That's it. Rest now."

He finally let his eyes flutter open, surprised to find he was outside. He was even more shocked to find the mattress he thought was so uncomfortable was actually Elphaba. "Fae?"

"And when you wake up we'll be so far away no one will ever be able to find you."

"What?" Fiyero frowned. "Fae?" He looked down at her again as if she might be able to give him some sort of explanation. Of course being unconscious put a serious crimp in that plan. "Glinda." He decided to go with the next best thing.

He hissed in pain as he sat up, but quickly forgot about his own discomfort when he saw Eadlyn putting Glinda over the front of his horse so he could climb into the saddle. Once he was in place he righted the blonde, pulling her close against him before spurring the horse into motion.

It wasn't until they started moving that Fiyero realized what was going on. "Glinda!" He staggered to his feet. "Bring her back!" His plea was lost in the sound of the horse galloping away.

"Damn it!" He growled as he watched them disappear into the woods. "Way to go Tiggular!" He chastised himself. "How could you just stand here and watch him take her?"

He looked down at Elphaba again, memories of the last few minutes washing over him. All but a few of his men riding off to help Cade. Hearing shots fired. Running to see what was going on. Seeing Eadlyn manhandling Glinda. Trying to find a way to get the blonde away from the bastard. Getting shot. Trying to save Elphaba.

"Fae." He fell to his knees beside the green woman, ignoring the searing pain in his side as he looked her over for wounds. "Damn black clothes." He verbally vented his frustrations as he ran his hands over her, trying to find any bullet holes. He panicked for a second when he found a patch of blood but quickly realized it must have been his because there was no wound to go with it.

Breath he didn't realize he'd been holding rushed from his lungs when he came to the conclusion that she hadn't been shot. But then why was she still unconscious? Did she hit her head when he tackled her?

"Your vision." He gave himself a mental kick in the pants. Fae had a tendency to pass out after she had one of her visions. Or so he'd been told. The only one he witnessed first hand was just before she ran off to reconcile with Glinda. Of course if he hadn't been there to catch her she probably would have fainted then too.

But she was OK. That was the important thing.

Unfortunately he couldn't say the same for the men littering the ground nearby. He walked toward them, turning his head in disgust when he got close enough to see their ravaged bodies. How could someone do such horrific things to another living being? They were far beyond his help but he leaned over each of them, checking to make sure they were truly gone.

His right side twinged as he straightened up from the last one, reminding him yet again that he hadn't escaped Eadlyn's rampage. He looked down at his wound, still finding it hard to believe he'd actually been shot. At least it didn't look too bad. And the matching hole surrounded by blood on the back of his shirt assured him the bullet had passed through. At least no one would have to dig it out. And he wasn't losing what he considered to be a lot of blood.

Then again what did he know? It wasn't like he was a doctor for crying out loud. What if he had internal injuries? What if…

"Glinda?"

His momentary panic was forgotten when he heard Elphaba's voice. "Fae?"

"Fiyero?" Elphaba frowned as she tried to sit up.

"Whoa." He knelt next to her. "Take it easy. You were out for a while."

"Out?" Her frown deepened. "What happened?"

"You had a vision."

"I did?"

Fiyero nodded. "You don't remember?"

"No, I..." Elphaba's breath suddenly caught in her throat as an image of Breena's tombstone swirled through her still misconbobulated thoughts. "No."

"What?" Fiyero furrowed his brow when she didn't answer right away. "Elphaba?"

"I..." She swallowed hard, not wanting to verbalize what she had seen for fear it would make it come true. "I have to go. I have to get to Bree."

"No, what you have to do is slow down. You're eyes haven't even been open a minute yet." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Give yourself a second to…"

"I can't." She shoved his hand away. "I don't have time."

"Elphaba." He sighed as she climbed to her feet, sticking close so he could catch her if need be.

"Don't sigh at me Yero. You have no idea what…" Elphaba's voice trailed off when she caught sight of the guards. "What happened to them?"

"Uh…" Fiyero hadn't thought this far ahead. How was he supposed to tell her about Glinda?

"Are they…" She took a half step toward them. "They're all dead!"

He nodded. "I know."

"You know?" Her voice went up an octave. "Is that all you have to say? They're dead, Fiyero." She looked at the downed men again. "What the hell happened here?! And don't you dare stall trying to come up with what you think I want to here." She pointed at him. "Tell me the truth. All of it."

Fiyero opened his mouth to protest but knew it wouldn't do him any good. No one knew him as well as Elphaba did. She would see right through him if he tried to lie. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"We were browbeating Eadlyn to see what he knew. You had just told him we knew he was involved in the Animal kidnappings and Bree going missing and he told you to prove it." Her heart suddenly sank. "Fiyero, where's Glinda?"

"Fae, what I'm about to tell you isn't going to be easy to hear but keep in mind that freaking out isn't going to help anything."

Elphaba clinched her jaw. "Don't make me ask again, Yero."

"All right." He made a 'calm down' gesture at her with his hand. "Eadlyn took her."

"What?!" Her screech scared some birds from a nearby tree. "How in the name of Oz did that happen?! We were surrounded by Gale Force guards!!"

"You said you wouldn't freak out." Fiyero squirmed at the look she gave him. "OK so technically you didn't say it but it was definitely implied."

"Fiyero."

"All right." He took a deep breath, hating what he was about to put her through. "After you blanked out Milton told us that Cade and the others needed backup ASAP."

Elphaba's stomach twisted at the thought of what might have been going on in the camp that prompted Cade to admit he needed help.

"I left those four," Fiyero continued, "to watch over Eadlyn so I could go tell the others to follow Milton."

Elphaba impatiently gestured at him. "Can we speed this up?"

"You said you wanted to know everything." He gave her a moment to say something before he spoke again. "Eadlyn must have had a knife on him because two of those men had their throats slit. And the other two were shot. So I'm guessing he had a blade hidden in one of his boots that he used to get rid of the two holding his arms, stole one of their guns and used it on the other two. By the time I heard him firing shots the rest of the guards were already gone. I drew my gun and tried to get a shot at him but he was using Glinda as a shield."

"He had his hands on Glinda?" She clinched her jaw again.

Fiyero decided to gloss over the question, knowing she really didn't want an answer. "He threatened to shoot her if I didn't get rid of my gun. After I threw it into the woods he shot me."

"He what?!" Elphaba seemed to notice the blood on his shirt for the first time. "By the Unnamed God Fiyero."

"I'm fine."

"You're bleeding."

"No, actually I don't think I am anymore. The bullet went completely through and from what I can tell didn't do much damage." He shook his head. "And that's really not important right now. Being shot understandably stunned me. When I started to come back to my senses Eadlyn was pointing the gun at you. He got a shot off but Glinda managed to hit his arm so he missed. He…" Fiyero hesitated, knowing she was upset enough without mentioning what Eadlyn did to Glinda.

"He what?" Elphaba frowned. "Fiyero, what did he do?!"

"He hit her with the gun and taunted her about watching him shoot you." Fiyero spoke quickly, not wanting her to get mad at him. "That gave me time to get up and run toward you. The next thing I knew he had Glinda on a horse and was riding away. There was no way for me to stop him. If there were I would have tried but…"

"I know you would have, Yero." Elpahba was quick to reassure him. "Which direction did they go?"

"That way." Fiyero pointed, showing her that Eadlyn had the presence of mind to ride away from Upland Manor. "But the rest of the horses got spooked by the gunshots. I can try to round them up so we can follow them but they have a little bit of a lead."

"I don't need a horse." Elphaba closed her eyes for a moment, obviously concentrating on something.

Fiyero nearly jumped out of his skin as her broom came through the trees nearby and floated into her outstretched hand. "Where did that come from?"

"I had it strapped to my horse's saddle." She gripped the wooden handle in her hand. "I thought I might need it."

"You can't use that out here, Elphaba."

"Of course I can."

"There are too many trees." Fiyero argued.

"I'll maneuver around them." Elphaba reasoned.

"You'd make better time on a horse." He tried again.

"I don't have the time to find one, Yero."

"You called that thing out of the woods. Can't you do the same thing with the horses?"

"This broom is linked to me magically. That's why I can... Hey!" Elphaba frowned as he suddenly grabbed the broom, ripping it from her grasp. "What are you doing?! Give that back!"

"I can't let you fly off on this thing, Fae." Fiyero gestured with the broom.

"Give it back."

"No." He shook his head.

"I don't want to hurt you Fiyero."

"And I don't want you getting hurt, Elphaba. The last thing we need right now is you flying headlong into a tree."

"No, the last thing I need right now is you standing in my way of getting Glinda back." Elphaba held out her hand. "Now give it to me."

Fiyero shifted his body so the broom was even further away from her. "No."

"Fiyero." Her brown eyes smoldered as she stared at him.

"Fae," his voice squeaked, giving away his apprehension.

"I don't have time for this."

Fiyero's eyes got big as the broom started to buck in his hand. "What in the name of…" It suddenly jerked upward, slipping out of his grasp and floating back over to Elphaba. "How did you do that?"

"I told you, we're linked." Elphaba started to straddle the broom's handle.

"Fae, wait!" Fiyero took a step toward her. "At least let me come with you."

"You'll only weigh me down."

"But…"

"I don't have time for this Fiyero!" She snapped. "I have to find Glinda and get to Bree before it's too late."

"Too late?" He looked confused. "What are you talking about?" You could almost see the light bulb appear over his head. "Your vision was about Breena wasn't it?"

Elphaba swallowed hard as she nodded.

"Did something happen to her?"

"She was…" Elphaba couldn't bring herself to say it. "I don't want to talk about it. I just need to find Glinda so we can get to her."

"Fae…"

"No more Fiyero. I've wasted enough time as it is." She couldn't miss the hurt look on his face as she climbed on the broom. "Find one of the horses and get back to the house to get your side checked." Her voice softened. "I'll be there soon. With Glinda." She tried to sound more confident than she felt.

"Elphaba." He took another step toward her but it was already too late. She was in the air before he could reach her. "Elphaba!"

All he could do was watch as she flew into the trees.

* * *

Elphaba tuned him out as she flew away. She hated to leave him behind, especially when he was hurt, but what choice did she have? She could fly a lot faster when it was just her. And right now time was of the essence. The quicker she got to Glinda the quicker they could find the camp and...

Images of Bree's funeral flooded her senses again, making her breath hitch in her chest. It wasn't true. Her sister wasn't... Breena couldn't be...

She shoved the thoughts aside. Thinking of Bree would only distract her and she couldn't afford that. Not when she was trying to maneuver through the maze of trees around her. Fiyero had been right. It would have been a lot easier to catch them on one of the horses. But she couldn't turn back now. She was just going to have to stay alert.

But that was easier said than done when your heart was aching. Had it only been a few days ago that they were at the lake? They were so content, just the four of them spending some much needed alone time together. She should have known something was going to happen. Things were too perfect. She was too happy. And there was an unwritten law in the universe that Elphaba Thropp was not allowed to be happy.

Well she was going to show the universe a thing or two. Once upon a time she would have wallowed in self pity over what was going on, but not now. She had a girlfriend to rescue and a sister to save and she'd be damned if she'd let anything get in her way.

She was so lost in thought she almost didn't hear the thud of horse hooves on the forest floor. Luckily Glinda's scream broke through her revere, making her quickly point the broom in the direction of her voice.

"Hang on Glinda. I'm coming."

* * *

Her head throbbed in rhythm with the thumping of the horses hooves. Since when did she take to falling asleep in the saddle? At least she hadn't fallen off. How embarrassing would that have been? She never would have heard the end of it from Fiyero. He was like a brother, always picking at her about something.

A smile spread across her face when she felt the arm around her waist tighten. So someone had decided they could ride together after all. She let herself sink back against the body behind her. "Oh Elphie."

"Not quite but I can answer to a cute nickname too if you'd like."

Glinda's eyes flew open when she heard the voice. "Eadlyn?!"

The man behind her chuckled. "Welcome back. I had hoped you would be out a little while longer, but that's all right. I can use the company."

"What..." She frantically looked around. "Where are we?"

"Don't worry your pretty little head over the details. Just know that I've got you." Eadlyn leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "And I have no intention of ever letting you go."

"Stop it!" Glinda tried to wiggle away from him.

"Keep squirming like that and you'll fall off." He chastised her. "Horse hooves do not mix well with pretty little blonde heads so you'd better hold still."

"Don't touch me!"

"All right." Eadlyn let go.

"Oh!" Glinda's arms flailed as she fought to keep her balance. She almost succeeded until Eadlyn gave her a shove, making her scream.

"Relax." He laughed as he caught her a split second before she tumbled to the ground. "Did you honestly think I'd let you fall? I told you I want money from your father. He wouldn't pay me much for damaged goods now would he?"

"Glinda!" Elphaba's voice split the air.

"Elphie!" The blonde turned, trying to catch sight of her lover.

"I thought I took care of her!" Eadlyn growled. "I guess I'll have to do a better job this time." He took the reins in the hand of the arm he had around Glinda so he could pull the gun from the waistband of his pants.

"No!" Glinda instantly started wrestling with him.

"Are you trying to get us both killed?!" He spat as he smacked her in the side of the head again with the butt of the gun. "Now hold still!"

Glinda slumped against him, stunned.

"Glinda!" Elphaba yelled when she saw her lover get hit. She swooped in toward the horse.

"That's it, get closer."

Glinda's blood froze at the animosity in Eadlyn's voice as he pointed the gun at Elphie. She tried to stop him again but her body just wouldn't cooperate. She flinched, closing her eyes when the gun went off.

"Damn."

She opened them again when Eadlyn cursed, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw Elphaba hovering not far from them.

"Shit!" Eadlyn cursed again as he pulled the trigger over and over, the hammer clicking past empty chambers.

"What's the matter?" Elphaba asked as she circled overhead. "Forget to reload after you shot those men?"

Glinda couldn't believe Elphie was toying with him. "Use your magic on him Elphie."

"Yeah Elphie." Eadlyn agreed. "Use your magic on me. Or are you too afraid you might hurt your girlfriend?"

Glinda could have slapped herself on the forehead. Of course Elphie was afraid she's hurt her. After all, she was practically plastered to Eadlyn. And even if the witch hit him in the back with a spell the horse could go out of control.

Eadlyn smiled when she didn't answer. "That's what I thought."

"Shut up!" Elphaba growled.

"Did you know you're dating a chicken Glinda?"

"She told you to shut up." Glinda replied, knowing she had to do something and quick. Eadlyn was pushing their horse too hard and Elphie was having a hard time avoiding trees. Someone was going to get hurt.

And it might as well be her.

She pushed back against him as she used her hands to pry at the arm he had around her waist.

"What are you doing?" Eadlyn frowned.

Glinda continued to push, hoping she was strong enough to break the hold he had on her.

"What are you doing?!" He asked again.

She drove one of her elbows into his stomach, finally breaking his grip. She quickly threw herself out of the saddle, knowing it wouldn't take him long to recover.

"Glinda!"

She heard Elphie's shocked scream but was too busy curling into a ball to protect herself to react. Surprisingly enough hitting the ground wasn't all that bad, it was the rolling nearly twenty yards afterwards that hurt. She came to a stop on her back, staring up at the sky.

"Glinda?"

The next thing she knew Elphaba was kneeling over her.

"Elphie." She grinned for a moment before she remembered what was going on. "Where's Eadlyn?!"

"It's all right." Elphaba put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from sitting up. "You spooked the horse when you jumped. The last time I saw him he was holding onto the saddle for dear life as he disappeared into the trees."

"Thank goodness." Glinda sighed.

"What did you think you were doing?"

"I had to get away from him."

"And that's all you could come up with?"

"I thought it was better than you flying into a tree."

"What is it with people thinking I don't know how to handle my broom?" Elphaba flinched as she took in the scrapes and bruises covering her lover's body. "Did you break anything?"

Glinda took mental stock of her body. "I don't think so."

"Can you sit up?"

"Of course I..." Her voice trailed off as tried, making her head spin.

"Easy." Elphaba put her arm around her to steady her. "Give yourself a second."

"We don't have a second." Glinda wiggled away from her. "He could be back anytime."

"Yes I could."

They both turned when they heard Eadlyn's voice, Elphaba instantly putting herself between him and Glinda. He gave them a vicious smile before swinging the thick tree branch in his hands, hitting Elphaba in the shoulder and knocking her away from Glinda.

"Elphie!" Glinda reached for her.

"That was a very stupid thing to do, Glinda. Brave but stupid." Eadlyn glared at the blonde. "Because now I'm mad. And when I'm mad someone pays."

"Run Glinda!" Elphaba somehow managed to sidestep another swing.

"And that someone is going to have to be this green freak." Eadlyn caught Elphaba in the side.

"No!" Glinda's pain was forgotten as she stood, throwing herself on Eadlyn's back.

"Get off me!" Eadlyn easily threw her back to the ground.

"Elphie!" Glinda cried out as Eadlyn took another shot at the staggering witch, the branch hitting the back of her head with a sickening crunch. Her heart skipped a beat as Elphaba flew through the air, hitting a nearby tree before falling into a boneless heap. "Elphie?"

Eadlyn walked over to the downed woman, giving her another poke with the branch for good measure. "I don't think she'll be coming after you this time, Glinda." He dropped the branch and went back to the blonde, grabbing her by the arm to drag her to her feet. "Let's go."

"But what about Elphie? We can't just leave her here."

"She's dead." Eadlyn thought about what he'd just said. "I can honestly say I killed the Wicked Witch of the West. How cool is that?"

"Shut up!" Glinda tried to pull away from him. "She's not dead!"

"Yes she is!" Eadlyn tightened his grip on her arm, causing her to squeak in pain. "And you can easily end up the same way if you don't shut your trap and get back on that horse."

"Go ahead." Glinda met his hateful gaze. "Kill me." Tears filled her eyes. "My life's over if she's gone."

"Could you possibly be any more sickening?" Eadlyn shook his head. "You're life with me has just begun, Glinda." He sneered at Elphaba. "And now there's no one to stand in our way."

"No!" She struggled to get away.

"Just remember, you made me do this."

Eadlyn punched her in the jaw, catching her when her eyes rolled back in her head and her knees buckled.


	25. Chapter 25

The Wizard was oblivious to the storm clouds that rolled in and the thunder that started grumbling overhead. He didn't even seem to notice the first slow moving, fat raindrops until they starting coming harder and faster, forcing him to duck back into the house.

"I thought I was going to have to bring you an umbrella."

He turned when he heard Lion's voice.

"Nothing yet huh?" The oversized cat gave him a sympathetic look. "Don't worry. They'll be here soon."

The Wizard gave him a halfhearted grin. "I hope you're right."

"Me too." Lion admitted. "I noticed you didn't eat any lunch."

"I wasn't hungry."

"You need to eat." He argued. "I'll go get you something from the kitchen."

"That's really not necessary."

"Elphaba asked me to keep an eye on you." He countered. "Letting you starve isn't part of the job."

"I'm far from starving." The Wizard raised his hand to stop the cat from responding. "But if it makes you feel better I guess I could use a sandwich."

"That's better." Lion grinned. "So you just make yourself comfortable there where you can keep an eye on the woods and I'll be right..."

"Watch out!"

The Wizard, who had already returned his attention to looking out the french doors that lead to the patio he'd been standing on, turned just in time to see Lion narrowly miss running headlong into a man. The man reacted by trying to back up, spilling the drink in his hand down the front of his shirt in the process.

"Now look what you've done you imbecile!" The man mopped at the mess with his free hand, the other still holding the now empty glass. "Who are you anyway?"

"I... Uh..." Lion stammered.

"Well spit it out!" The man snapped. "I don't have all day!"

"Is there a problem here?" The Wizard asked as he walked over to them.

"Look at my shirt and tell me you honestly need to ask that question." The man growled. "If he had been watching where he was going instead of looking over his shoulder, this wouldn't have happened. But no. He has to be like all of the other insensitive, inconsiderate..." He gestured with his hand as he tried to come up with the appropriate word. "...things that have overrun my house. Without my permission I might add!" He pointed at Lion for good measure.

"Your house?" The Wizard frowned.

"Yes. I'm Maximillan Upland and you're..." Max's voice trailed off when he realized who he was speaking to. "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." His was obviously awed. "I... You're..." He offered his hand. "It's truly an honor to meet you." He blushed when the Wizard eyed the appendage, remembering he had been using it as a towel just moments before. "Sorry." He wiped his hand on his pants before offering it again.

The Wizard completely ignored the gesture this time. "He's with me." He nodded toward Lion as he stared at the man before him.

"Oh." Max looked shocked. "I'm sorry. If I had realized he was..."

"Lion, why don't you go to the kitchen now?" The Wizard interrupted him.

"Are you sure?" The feline eyed Max suspiciously.

"I'll be fine." The Wizard reassured him, waiting until he was out of sight to return his attention to Max.

"Good help is hard to find nowadays isn't it?" He was dabbing at his shirt again.

"He's not my help, he's my friend."

"But he's..." Max frowned. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but what are you doing traveling with an Animal? I thought you hated Animals."

"Well you thought wrong. That was nothing more than a public image perpetrated by a council of men who used to rule this land through me."

Max looked confused. "I have no idea what you just said, but I didn't mean to offend you."

The Wizard scoffed. "Men like you never do."

"Men like me?" Max's frown deepened. "You don't even know me."

"No, but I know of you and that's more than enough for me." The Wizard clinched his jaw and turned to walk away, determined not to give the man the time of day. But moral indignation had him turning back around. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How can you call yourself a father?"

Max's mouth popped open. "Excuse me?"

"As far as I'm concerned there is no excuse for you." The Wizard started toward him again. "For years I dreamed of having the pleasure of being a father. I would watch other men with their children and wonder why I never took the time to slow down and have a family of my own. And then fate saw fit to give me not just one daughter, but two."

"What are you going on about?" Max backed up nervously as the man kept walking toward him.

"Oz only knows everyone makes mistakes. I have a hell of a lot to make up for where my girls are concerned, but you..." The Wizard shook his head. "You've had Addena and Glinda with you their whole lives. And what do you do with that precious gift? You take it forgranted."

"Now just a minute." He grunted as his back hit the wall of the sitting room opposite the french doors. "What do you know about my family?"

"More than you can imagine." The Wizard growled. "And I'm warning you right now, there will be hell to pay if you try to stand in the way of Breena and Elphaba's happiness with your daughters."

"Breena and Elphaba?" Max's eyes lit up with realization. "You mean the Wicked Witch of the West and that other one are your daughters?" He chuckled. "And you're criticizing my parenting skills?"

"First of all, Elphaba is _not_ wicked!" The Wizard took another half step forward him, making Max stand with his head pressed back against the wall. "Secondly, I would caution you to watch what you say about my daughters. It could be misconstrued as a threat against a member of the ruling family. That's punishable with arrest and a long stretch in Southstairs."

Max tried to look braver than he felt. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me." He didn't even try to conceal the threat in his words.

"There's a group coming out of the woods!" An out of breath Lion came running back into the room. "The guards spotted..." His voice trailed off when he saw the position the two men were in. "Is everything all right here?"

"Everything's fine. Isn't it Max?" The Wizard gave him a non to gentle clap on the shoulder.

"Fine." Max was quick to agree. "Everything's just fine."

Lion eyed them for a second longer before giving the Wizard his full attention. "Like I said, they spotted Cade and a group of others coming out of the woods."

"Remember what I said." The Wizard got in one more dig before backing away from Max. "Were the girls with them?"

"They couldn't be sure, but the group should be here in just a few..." As if on cue a commotion could be heard coming from the front door. "They're here!" Lion took off in that direction, not waiting to see if the Wizard was following him or not.

He needn't have worried. The Wizard almost beat him to the group coming through the door. "Cade?" He addressed the captain when he spotted him.

Cade's only response was a sympathetic look as Penny came through the doors with Breena's limp form in her arms, Addena hot on her heels.

"Oz no!" The Wizard rushed toward them. "Breena?" He tried but couldn't quite reach his daughter.

"We've got to get her upstairs." Addena spoke to Penny, seeming not to have heard the Wizard at all. "You can take her to my room. I'll show you the way."

The Wizard followed them as they started toward the staircase leading to the family wing. "What's wrong? What happened to her?"

"We need to get her out of those wet things." Addena continued as if he hadn't said a word. "Cade, can you send some of your men to the hospital in town? Have them load up on supplies, heavy on the antibiotics. We'll need them for her as well as any of the guards who were injured today. Bernice!" She yelled for the maid.

Bernice expertly shoved her way through the crowd of Gale Force guards who were now standing in the entry way. "Yes miss?"

"I'm going to need a basin of warm water, a basin of cold water, some rags, extra blankets and check to see if we have any ice." Addena lovingly ran her hand over Breena's brow. "We might need it to bring her temperature down."

"She has a fever?" The Wizard was getting more and more concerned by the second. "What happened?" His hands clinched into fists as Addena motioned for Penny to start walking again. He quickly cut in front of them, blocking Penny's path. "I demand to know what happened to my daughter!"

"Move." Addena tried to shove him out of the way.

"Addena." Ginny chastised her as she joined them. "Is this Breena's father?"

"Yes, but we really don't have time..."

"He deserves an explanation." Ginny cut her off.

"You're right." Addena sighed. "Of course he does." She finally took a good look at the Wizard. "I'm sorry."

"You're worried about my daughter." The Wizard swallowed hard as he looked down at Breena's all too pale features. "And obviously with good reason. Just give me the condensed version."

"She was stabbed in the leg. I did surgery in the field to repair the damage but she..." Addena caught her mother's eye, who shook her head, telling her not to mention the fact Breena's heart had stopped. "She lost a lot of blood and she's very weak. I knew she would more than likely get an infection but I was hoping her fever wouldn't get this high." She shook her head. "Getting caught in the rain didn't help either. The wagon we brought her back in wasn't covered."

"But her healing power will help, right?" The Wizard continued to stare at his daughter. "Once her wound heals she'll be better equipped to fight off whatever infection she has?"

"She doesn't have her powers." Penny fielded the question.

The Wizard frowned at the Lioness. "What?"

"The men who kidnapped her gave her some kind of potion." Ginny spoke up again. "It bound her powers."

"But that means..." Tears swam in the Wizard's eyes. "What are her chances Addena?"

"I..." Addena shook her head again, not even wanting to think about the possibilities. "Right now we need to concentrate on getting her fever down. Once we do that I should be able to give you an answer."

The Wizard nodded as he moved to his daughter's side. "Stay with us, Breena." He placed a gentle kiss on her scolding brow. "Please stay with us." He took a step back. "You'd better get her upstairs."

Addena gripped his hand. "I'll come find you as soon as we get her cleaned up and settled in so you can sit with her."

The Wizard gave her a grateful look. "I'd like that."

"Come on, Penny." Addena led the Lioness up the stairs.

Ginny felt for the Wizard as he watched them disappear from view. "She's in the best possible hands."

"I know." The Wizard turned to look at her. "I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced. I'm..."

"The Wizard of Oz." Ginny finished for him. "I'm Gi..."

"Ginella!" Max's voice overrode hers as he came rushing over to them. He started to hug her but stopped short when he saw the state she was in. "You're soaking wet." He waited for a response, fidgeting when he didn't get one. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"I just bet you are." Ginny's voice was like ice. "But don't fear. Your piggy bank is alive and well."

"Piggy bank?" Max furrowed his brow. "What in Oz are you taking about?"

"Did you know he doesn't have a cent to his name?" Ginny directed the question at the Wizard, who just so happened to still be standing beside her. "All that wonderful Upland money he's always throwing around is actually Arduenna money. My money to be more exact."

"Ginny." Max gave her a look.

"He comes from a wealthy family, but he couldn't save an Oznote if his life depended on it. His parents cut him off when he was still in school."

Max blanched. "That's about enough."

"Luckily someone with a family fortune fell for him. And like a sap she felt sorry for him and made sure he got a job at her uncle's firm. Her family looked out for him. Gave him a huge salary and a roof over his head and a sense of what it was like to be part of the upper echelon of society."

"Ginella..." Max tried again.

"And all she ever asked was that he love their family."

"I do love you!" He protested.

"That he use what her people had so generously given him to provide and care for and nurture the beautiful daughters they created."

"I have!" Max huffed. "Those two never wanted for anything!"

"And how does he repay her and her family for their kindness?" Ginny glared at her husband. "He overindulges one daughter and practically sells the other into slavery."

"I did no such thing! All right, so I spoiled Glinda a little. Big deal. And I arranged for Addena to marry the son of a client." Max gestured with his hand. "That's hardly slavery."

"She was a baby, Max! A poor, defenseless, couldn't say a word in her own defense baby!" Ginny bellowed. "And when I found out I told you to make the whole thing go away and you said that you would. You lied to me!"

"Merrick threatened to pull his business from the firm!"

"And?" She threw her hands in the air. "Did you honestly think my family would turn their backs on you for doing the right thing where your own daughter was concerned?!"

"Yes." Max nodded. "That's exactly what they would have done. I would have been the laughing stock at the firm and..."

"So rather than sacrifice your Oz be damned pride you decided to leave the marriage plans in place and force our little girl into a life she never wanted."

"How would she know whether she wants it or not? She never even gave it a chance."

"Can you even hear the words coming out of your mouth?" Ginny looked at him in disbelief.

"Of course I can." Max defended himself. "And I'm sick and tired of being made out to be the bad guy here."

"Well you won't have to worry about that anymore because you won't be here."

Max frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I want you out of my house!" Ginny snapped. "Take whatever clothes you want and leave!"

"Ginny..."

"You're through, Max. _We're_ through."

"Now wait just a minute!"

The Wizard stepped between them as Max moved toward her. "I believe she asked you to leave."

"This is none of your business!" Max glared at him.

"Well I'm making it my business." The Wizard gestured for Cade to join them. "Get a couple of guards to escort Mr. Upland out of the house. He's allowed to pack clothes, but nothing else."

"My pleasure." Cade nodded toward a couple of his guards.

"Sir," one of them gripped Max's arm. "We're going to have to ask you to come with us."

"Let go!" Max tried to pull free. "Ginny, we need to discuss this in private. Ginny?" He practically begged. "Ginny, please."

"It's too little too late, Max." Ginny's eyes were dry as she looked at him.

"But..."

"We have nothing more to say to one another."

"Ginny." Max drug his feet but that did little to stop the guards from dragging him up the stairs. "Ginny!!"

"Thank you." Ginny turned to the Wizard.

"You're most welcome." The Wizard took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "Mrs. Upland I presume?"

Ginny nodded. "Soon to me Miss Arduenna again."

The Wizard couldn't stop himself from grinning. "I can see where your daughters get their good looks." He cocked an eyebrow. "And their spirit."

"Thank you." She suddenly shivered.

"You should get out of those clothes before you catch your death of..." The Wizard's voice trailed off as he glanced up the stairs. "I can't believe I just said that."

"They're only words." Ginny tried to assure him. "And Addena will take good care of her."

"I know." The Wizard looked at her again. "She loves her."

Ginny nodded. "Yes she does." She put her hand on the Wizard's arm. "I'm going to go get cleaned up and then I'd like to wait with you, if you don't mind."

The Wizard patted her hand. "I'd like that."

"Good." Ginny started up the stairs.

"Cade." The Wizard called for him again.

"Yes sir?" The captain hadn't gone far from the last time they spoke.

"Have another guard keep an eye on her." He watched Ginny's retreating form. "Just in case Max decides..." He frowned as a guard walked past them and started up the stairs. "One step ahead of me again?"

"Mr. Upland seems like the trouble making type." Cade shrugged.

"You're a smart man, Cade." The Wizard clapped him on the back. "Now when can we expect Elphaba and the others to return?"

"Elphaba?" Cade frowned. "You mean Fiyero and his group didn't make it back here yet?"

The Wizard's heart sank. "They weren't with you?"

"No. From what the men told me Fiyero arrested Eadlyn and then sent them ahead to help us at the trappers camp. I thought they would have made it back here by now."

"Damn it." The Wizard slammed his fist against his leg. "Damn it!"

"I'm sure they just got caught in the storm." Cade tried to calm him down.

"Maybe you're right." The Wizard didn't sound convinced.

"I'll send some fresh men out to help them along." Cade waited a beat. "Let's not start freaking out until we know there's something to be freaking out about, all right? Why don't you go upstairs and wait for word on Breena and leave everything else to me?"

"You'll let me know the instant you hear anything?"

Cade nodded. "Of course."

"Thank you, Cade." The Wizard suddenly looked his age. "For everything."

"You're welcome. Now get upstairs."

Cade sighed as the Wizard started up the stairs, shoulders slumped. He hoped he was right about the others being stuck in the storm but he couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to them. Something bad.

He offered up a silent prayer to the Unnamed God that he was wrong as he went back over to his men.


	26. Chapter 26

"There." Addena inspected Breena's back. "I think you're a little less of a mess now." She gently rolled her love from her side to her back, making sure her head was situated just so on the pillows piled behind her. "All we have now are you neck and face and you'll be all done."

She dipped the rag she was using in the basin on the bedside stand, trying not to notice the dark green tint of the water it held as she rung the cloth out and went back to the task at hand.

"Maybe I spoke to soon." She sighed as she started rinsing her own bloody fingerprints off of Breena's neck.

The gore covering the witch's legs and back from lying in a pool of her own blood on the ground was awful but in a way these were worse. They were a very personal reminder of her frantic search for a pulse as she tried to resuscitate the woman she loved. What if it hadn't worked? What if she'd lost Bree in that camp?

"I bet you had a hard time keeping your face clean as a kid." She shoved the morbid thoughts away as she switched her attention to the handprints on Breena's cheeks. "I can just see you now, a pint sized Bree running around covered in dirt with your hair coming out of your pigtails."

She ignored the heat radiating from the skin beneath her hand too, hoping the second dose of antibiotics she'd given her when they got to the house would bring the fever down. "You probably didn't have pigtails but that's how I picture you."

Her brow furrowed as she threw the rag back in the basin and expertly probed the bruise under Breena's left eye. "I was never allowed to wear my hair in pigtails when Father was home. He thought they were undignified."

She unconsciously nodded her approval when she determined the bone beneath the bruise wasn't cracked. Surprisingly enough Breena didn't have any broken bones. Plenty of bruises but nothing broken.

"I bet your mother didn't care about being dignified. She strikes me as the let your kid be a kid type." She inspected the finger sized bruises littering Breena's arms. "My mom was the same way. But everything was different when Father was around. Luckily he traveled a lot."

She stared down at Breena's pale features. "I don't want things to be like that for us. I want... No, I _need_ our kids to be happy. Happy and healthy and spoiled rotten. Not so that they're brats, mind you. Just enough to make other kids wish we were their parents."

The corner of her mouth turned up. "Listen to me, talking about us having a family. Could you imagine? A little girl with your dark hair and charm and my blue eyes and sensibility."

"That's a lot to pile on one kid."

Addena's heart leapt when she heard the nearly non existant voice. "Bree?"

"I think we should have two. One with dark hair and blue eyes and my charm." Her eyes fluttered open. "And another with blonde hair and green eyes and your sensibility. That way she can keep the dark haired troublemaker in line."

"Two huh?" Addena poured some water out of the pitcher behind the basin into a glass and lifted Breena's head so she could take a drink. "I hope you don't expect me to have them both."

"Thanks." Breena's voice sounded a little better as Addena gently lowered her back down onto the pillows. "And I think I could handle squeezing one out."

Addena smiled for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Squeeze one out?"

Breena nodded. "Maybe if you play your cards right I'll consider having them both. That way you can deliver them."

"I knew there had to be an ulterior motive to go with the offer." Addena leaned in to place a gentle kiss on the lips she adored. "Welcome back baby."

"Baby? I must be worse off than I thought if you're calling me that instead of giving me hell for getting hurt." Breena winced as she tried to shift into a more comfortable position.

"Easy." Addena bit her lip as she watched her, praying she wouldn't pop any of the delicate stitches in her leg.

"I'm OK." Breena breathed rather than said, her limited movement zapping her strength.

"That's about enough for now. You need to rest."

"But I just woke up."

"Bree..."

"I'll rest in a minute, Addy." Breena persisted. "Now come here."

The site of her love weakly holding her arms open was all the invitation Addena needed. She laid her head on Breena's chest, tears filling her eyes when she heard the slow but steady beating of the witch's heart. But it was Breena's sigh of contentment that made her sob.

"Hey." Breena rubbed her back the best she could. "What's with the waterworks?"

"I..." Addena tried to get a grip on her emotions. Now wasn't the time for her to breakdown either. "I'm just so glad you're here."

Breena chuckled. "Me too."

"I'm serious." Addena sat up to look at her.

"So am I." Breena grinned.

"I never meant to hurt you, Bree. Please believe that. I..."

Breena brought a shaky hand up to cup her cheek. "I know."

"But..."

"We can talk about it later." Breena closed her eyes as her hand fell back onto the bed.

"Bree?" Addena felt a flash of panic.

"Still here." She mumbled as she sighed. "And I still feel like I'm made of lead."

"I told you you'd be weak. Just like I told you I would take care of you." Addena ran the back of her fingers down Breena's cheek. "And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"I love you."

It was Addena's turn to grin. "I love you too." She leaned in for another kiss. "Now get some rest."

"Yes ma'am."

"That's my girl." Addena ran her fingers through Breena's hair. The witch might not have been one hundred percent yet but she was on the mend.

"Addy."

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Breena suddenly gripped her leg. "What? What is it? What's the matter?"

"Elly..."

Addena frowned at the barely audible word. "What?"

"Elly." Breena repeated herself. "Take care of Elly for me."

"Take care of Elphaba?" Another jolt of panic shot through the doctor. "What are you talking about?"

"Elly."

"I know, but you're not going anywhere. Take care of her yourself."

"No." Breena sighed. "She needs your help."

Addena's frown deepened. "She does?"

Breena nodded as she fought to keep her eyes open. "Help her."

"I will."

"Swear." Breena started to breath heavily.

"I swear I'll help her." Addena was quick to reassure her. "Bree, you've got to calm down."

"Promise."

"I promise I'll help Elphaba any way I can if you promise to calm down. You're going to make yourself hyperventilate."

"Promise." Breena repeated herself again as her eyes drifted shut.

"You have my word."

"She'll be here... soon..."

With that Breena passed out again.

Addena stared down at her, wondering what in Oz brought on the sudden bought of concern for Elphaba. If Breena hadn't been so lucid she would have chalked it up to the fever. Then again her temperature was pretty high. She probably wouldn't remember any of what they talked about.

"Ginny please!"

Her head snapped up when she heard the voice in the hallway.

"Just go, Max."

"But..."

"I said to go!"

She brushed a quick kiss against Breena's brow before climbing off her perch on the side of the bed and heading for the door.

"You can't just kick me out Ginny. I'm your husband!"

"Not for much longer."

Addena's heart hammered in her chest as she opened the door to her room. She'd never heard her mother speak such harsh words before.

"You're not thinking clearly right now. What you need is a good night's rest."

Max's tone was desperate as he pleaded with Ginella, who was sitting in a chair along the far wall of the hallway.

"No, what I need is for you to leave like I've asked you to."

"Addena." The Wizard sprang for the chair next to Ginella when he spotted her standing there. "How's Breena?"

"You." Max turned on his daughter before she could answer. "This is all your fault!" He took a menacing step toward her only to be stopped by one of the Gale Force guards flanking him.

Instinct had Addena taking a half step back into her room. "What's going on?"

"Your mother is kicking me out!" Max spat. "And it's all because of you!"

"That will be just about enough!" Ginny stood, going to her daughter's side. "How is Breena, darling?"

"She..." Addena's head was spinning. "Her temperature is still too high but she woke up a few minutes ago."

"She did?" The Wizard breathed a sigh of relief. "That's wonderful!"

"Who cares?!" Max bellowed.

"Shut up!" The Wizard snapped.

"I most certainly will not!" Max countered. "My marriage is falling apart and all you people seem to care about is that... that..." He pointed into Addena's bedroom.

"Mind what you call my daughter." The Wizard warned him.

"To hell with your daughter! Ginny, please. All we need to do is talk about this in private and..."

"I already told you, Max. It's too little too late. I've put up with your nonsense for far too long."

"But..."

"Just go." Ginny sighed.

The Wizard nodded at the guards, who stepped forward to grip Max's arms.

"Tell me why Ginny." Max sidestepped their efforts, his eyes on his wife. "Just tell me why!"

"Because you're a bastard, Max!" Ginny finally lost her cool. "Our whole marriage has been about you and what you want or need! You're selfish and controlling and never think about anyone but yourself!"

"That's not true!"

"It most certainly is! You sold our daughter to the highest bidder to further your business career!"

Max scoffed. "I'm sure I could have gotten a better offer."

Ginny shook her head. "You say things like that and then ask why we're through." This time she looked at the guards. "Please escort him out."

"I hope you're happy!" Max turned his hateful gaze on Addena again.

"This isn't my fault, Dad." Addena defended herself.

"Don't call me that!" Max snarled. "You're no daughter of mine. I wish you'd never been born!!"

Ginny slapped him hard across the face. "I would say I wish I'd never married you but then I wouldn't have my girls. So I'll go with I wish I'd kicked you out years ago. But I'm rectifying that decision now."

"Take him to the hotel in town." The Wizard ordered before Max could say more.

"Ginny?" Max looked at her over his shoulder as the guards dragged him away. "Ginny please! It's still storming outside!"

She turned away from him, concentrating on her daughter instead. "Addena, I'm so sorry. There is no excuse for what he said."

"It's all right, Mom." Addena shrugged. "I stopped listening to what he said a long time ago."

"Maybe so, but I know that hurt. And it certainly wasn't something you needed after everything else you've been through recently." Ginny cupped her daughter's cheek. "I for one can't imagine my life without you in it."

Addena smiled. "Luckily you don't have to."

Ginny grinned. "Why don't you go back in with Breena while I make sure those guards don't have any trouble getting your..." She pursed her lips. "Getting _him_ out of the house."

"Mom." Addena gripped her mother's hand as she started to walk away. "Please tell me you're not doing this just because of what he did to me."

"Addena..."

"I just... I don't want you to make a rash decision now that you might regret later."

"I won't." Ginny reassured her. "To be honest with you, I don't know why I stayed with him as long as I did. I don't think he ever really loved me."

Addena nodded. "And I know he never loved me."

"Well I do." Ginny gave her hand a squeeze. "And so does the girl in that room." She nodded toward the still open bedroom door.

"I know."

"Then go take care of her." Ginny made a shooing motion with her hand.

"I'll keep an eye on your mother." The Wizard volunteered.

"Addena!"

They all three turned when they heard Lion.

"Maeveishere." He spoke as he finally reached them, dropping his paws to his legs in an attempt to catch his breath.

"What?" The Wizard frowned.

"It sounded like he said 'Maeve is here.'" Ginny tried to translate.

"He did." Penny answered as she joined them.

The Wizard asked, "Who is Maeve?"

"She's Yackle's niece." Addena didn't feel like elaborating more than that. "What is she doing here?"

"She wouldn't say." Penny replied. "She just walked in the front door and insisted on seeing Elphaba or Breena."

"I tried to tell her Breena's not in any condition to see anyone and that Elphaba and the others haven't made it back yet, but she wouldn't listen." Lion straightened back up.

"Then he ran up here to tell you before I could." Penny gave Lion a dubious look.

"You're just jealous because I can run faster than you."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

"Cut it out you two." Addena chastised the bickering cats before turning her attention to the Wizard. "Can you sit with Bree while I go see why Maeve is here?"

He nodded. "Of course I can."

"It shouldn't take me too long and then I'll come right back up to check on her."

"Take your time. We'll be fine." The Wizard assured her.

"Looks like you're going my way." Ginny looped her arm through her daughter's as they started downstairs. "So who is this Maeve?"

"Elphaba and Breena have this crazy magical advisor of sorts named Yackle."

Lion snorted. "You can say that again."

Penny frowned at him. "Don't interrupt her. It's rude."

"I wasn't interrupting." Lion gestured with his paw. "I was agreeing with her. Yackle really is crazy. But she seems to know what she's doing with Elphaba and Breena."

"That remains to be seen." Addena disagreed with him. "Maeve is Yackle's niece that showed up out of the blue a few days ago."

"Let me guess," Ginny raised her eyebrows. "She flirts with Breena."

"No," Lion shook his head. "She's into Fiyero."

"You're being rude again." Penny interjected.

"I'm just trying to let Addena know that she doesn't have anything to worry about. Maeve likes Fiyero."

"I can't imagine Addena having anything to worry about anyway. I've seen the way Breena looks when she just thinks about her." Penny sighed wistfully. "I'd give anything to have someone look at me like that."

"Maybe if you weren't so bossy maybe someone would."

"Bossy?" Penny snarled at him.

"Yeah." Lion nodded. "You're always telling someone what to do."

"And I'm asking both of you to stop arguing." Addena growled as they reached the first floor.

"Addena." Maeve rushed over to her, dripping water everywhere as she went. "Am I glad to see you."

"What are you doing here, Maeve?" Addena's voice was curt.

"I'm not sure." Maeve gave a half shrug. "One minute Aunt Yackle was showing me where to find certain spells in the Grimmerie and the next she was shoving the book into my hands and telling me to get it here as quickly as possible. She said she would keep Betak busy while I was gone and sent me on my way."

"The Grimmerie?" Ginny was shocked.

Addena nodded. "It exists."

"And Elphaba and Breena can read it." Maeve raised her eyebrows like that was the most impressive thing in the world. "Where are they anyway?"

"Breena is under the weather." Ginny answered before her daughter could. "She can't have visitors right now."

"Under the weather?" Maeve frowned. "But she's a healer."

"She still can't have visitors." Penny tried to help out.

"Fine. Then I need to see Elphaba."

"Elphaba isn't..."

The sound of the front door flying open and hitting the wall made them all jump.

"Addena!" Fiyero yelled as he walked into the house, a drenched Elphaba clutched in his arms. "Addena." He visibly relaxed when he saw her standing there. "You have to help Fae."

Breena's words echoed through Addena's mind as she started at the two of them. How in Oz did her barely coherent girlfriend know Elphaba would be showing up soon, let alone that she would need her help?

"What happened?" Penny asked, snapping Addena out of her trance like state.

"We took Eadlyn into custody but he escaped and kidnaped Glinda."

Ginny put her hand over her mouth as she gasped. "That man has my daughter?"

Fiyero nodded. "He killed four guards and shot me before riding off with her."

"You've been shot?!" Maeve was instantly at his side. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." He downplayed her concern. "But Elphaba's not. She took off after Glinda and Eadlyn on her broom. I don't know if she flew into a tree or what. By the time I caught up to her she was unconscious. She has a nasty bump on the back of her head and I can't get her to wake up. I would have had her here a lot sooner if it weren't for this damn storm. My horse kept getting turned around in the woods."

"Elphaba?" Addena, who had walked over to get a better look at the green woman, pushed a wet lock of hair out of the witch's face before tapping her on the cheek. "Elphaba, can you hear me?" She frowned when she didn't get a response. "We better take her upstairs where I can examine her. We can put her in Glinda's room."

"Next to yours?" Penny held her paws out to Fiyero once Addena nodded.

Fiyero frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

"Taking her upstairs." The Lioness said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I think I can manage." Fiyero tightened his grip on Elphaba.

"See, there you go being bossy again." Lion mumbled.

"I don't care who takes her upstairs as long as she gets there." Addena spoke up before anyone else could as she started up the stairs, a million thoughts running through her head.

How could things have gotten so screwed up? She's almost lost Bree, who still wasn't out of the woods thanks to her fever, and now Elphaba was hurt and Glinda had been kidnaped by Eadlyn.

Her hand curled into a fist at the idea of her little sister being anywhere near that bastard, but what could she do about it? The only person who really knew what was going on with Glinda was blissfully unaware of anything as Fiyero carried her up the stairs. She was going to have to make good on her word to Breena and help Elphaba if she wanted to help her sister.

And that's exactly what she intended to do.


	27. Chapter 27

_Nothing. _

_It surrounded her. No color, no shapes, no sound. Just an absolute nothingness that chilled her to her very core, reminding her why she hated to be alone._

"_Elphie?"_

_She turned when she sensed a familiar presence beside her._

"_Elphie?" _

_She tried again, swallowing hard as her own voice echoed around her._

"_Elphaba Thropp you answer me this instant!"_

"_I'm here, Glinda."_

_She took a half step backward when her lover suddenly appeared before her._

"_Elphie?" She eyed the green woman. "Is that really you?"_

"_It's really me."_

"_Oh Elphie!" She rushed toward her, taking her in her arms. "Why didn't you answer me?"_

"_I was trying but you couldn't hear me." Elphaba held her close for a moment before pulling back to take in their surroundings. "Where are we?"_

_Glinda shrugged. "I have no idea. But it's creepy."_

"_You can say that again."_

"_It's creepy." The corner of Glinda's mouth turned up at the look she got. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."_

"_And I wouldn't expect you to." Elphaba returned her grin as she continued to look around. "I wonder how we get out of here."_

"_I'm just glad you're here with me." Glinda skipped the question, knowing Elphie didn't expect her to answer anyway._

"_Me too." Elphaba took the blonde's hand, giving it a loving squeeze. _

"_Ow." _

"_Sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."_

"_You didn't." Glinda frowned._

"_Then what's the matter?"_

"_I don't know. It's like my whole body started aching all of a sudden. Oh!" She used her free hand to massage her jaw._

_It was Elphaba's turn to frown. "Are you all right?"_

_Glinda half shook her head. "I don't think so."_

"_That's it. We've got to find a way to get..." She suddenly stumbled, hissing in pain._

"_Elphie?" Glinda watched some of the green leak from her lover's cheeks. "What is it?!"_

"_My..." Elphaba spoke through clinched teeth. "My head..."_

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Feels like it's... splitting in... in two." Her knees suddenly buckled._

"_Elphie!" Glinda did her best to hold her up but she just wasn't strong enough. All she could do was watch as her girlfriend disappeared into the nothingness again. "Elphie?!"_

"Glinda!!"

The name flew from Elphaba's mouth as her eyes snapped open.

"Elphaba?" Addena somehow managed not to be startled by the outburst. "Elphaba, can you hear me?"

Whiskey brown eyes met blue for a second, a much weaker "Glinda" passing her lips before she slid into unconsciousness again.

"What in Oz was that?" Penny looked at her over the prone witch.

Addena shook her head. "I'm not sure."

"What happened?" The Wizard, who had taken up pacing in the hallway outside the rooms that held his daughters, asked as he came racing in.

"She woke up." Addena answered.

"She's conscious?" His voice was hopeful.

"No." Penny shook her head.

"But I thought..."

"It was only for a second." Addena clarified.

The Wizard sighed. "What does that mean? Her waking up. What difference does it make to her condition?"

"I hate to say it, but I really don't know." Addena sounded frustrated. "I haven't had much experience with head injuries."

"At least you're trying to help her." Penny showed her support.

"Yes you are." The Wizard agreed.

Addena mumbled, "It just doesn't seem like enough."

The Wizard gripped her shoulder. "Can you do anything else for her right now?"

"No." She shook her head sadly. "The bump on her head is the only injury I could find besides a couple of bruises on her side."

"Then why don't you go try to get some rest?" He raised an eyebrow when she started to protest. "Your mother is in with Breena and I'll stay here with Elphaba. We can send someone to get you if there's any change with either of them."

"I'll help them." Penny volunteered. "He's right, Addena. You need to rest. You're going to exhaust yourself and then you won't be any good to anyone."

"Maybe you're right."

"Of course we are." The Wizard steered her toward the door.

"You promise to come get me if there's any change, any change at all with either of them?"

"We promise." Penny confirmed.

"Then I guess I'll go to my parents room. It's just down the hall and..."

"Your mother can point us in the right direction. Now quit stalling and go." The Wizard stopped once they reached the door. "And I mean to rest when I say rest." He gave her a stern look. "No pacing around the room or lying on the bed staring at the ceiling."

"Yes sir."

He pulled her into a hug. "Please keep in mind that I'm doing this for your own good. You're one of my girls now, Addena. I can't have anything happening to you too."

She pulled back with a slight grin. "I know."

"Good." The Wizard returned her grin. "Now go and don't come back for at least a few hours."

"I'll do my best."

"I'll walk with you." Penny followed her out of the room, earning herself a grateful look from the Wizard as she passed him.

He waited until they were well down the hall to turn and walk back into the room. "All right," he sat on the edge of the bed, taking his daughter's hand in his own. "I told your sister and now I'm telling you. Stay with us, Elphaba." Tears swam in his eyes as he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Please."

"Elphie!" At the exact moment that Elphaba's eyes flew open at Upland Manor, Glinda woke up too. "Elphie?!"

"Shut up!" A voice growled in her ear. One she recognized right away.

"Eadlyn."

"I said to shut up!"

He was cowed down behind her, his face buried against her neck as he tried to use her as a shield against the driving rain.

Glinda blinked water out of her eyes. "Where are we?"

"What part of shut up don't you understand?"

"I..."

He pinched her side. "SHUT UP!"

She bit her lip to keep from crying out, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much it hurt, but she didn't speak again either. Her body ached bad enough without antagonizing him into adding more bruises to her already tender side.

Images sped through her mind, a new memory assaulting her each time a raindrop hit her. Confronting Eadlyn. Elphie's vision. Eadlyn going berserk and killing the guards. Fiyero getting shot. Being pistol whipped. Waking up in Eadlyn's arms. Elphie on her broom. Jumping off of the horse. Elphie looking down at her. Eadlyn attacking them. Elphie telling her to run. Eadlyn killing Elphie.

That last thought made her breath catch in her throat as tears blurred her already waterlogged vision. Eadlyn was wrong. Elphie wasn't dead. She couldn't be. It just wasn't possible. They were supposed to spend eternity together.

"Finally."

Eadlyn's voice didn't even register with her. Neither did the fact that they were coming to the mouth of a cave. She was too busy imagining her life without Elphie in it.

"Get down."

No more feeling those long, slender fingers intertwining with her own. No more staring into those bottomless eyes.

"Did you hear me? I said get down."

No more kissing those soft green lips. No more time spent cuddling in bed after making love.

"Get down!"

She felt the hands shoving her out of the saddle a split second before she hit the ground.

"What are you doing?!"

A man she'd never seen before was suddenly at her side.

"I told her to get down three times." Eadlyn spoke as he climbed out of the saddle. "It's not my fault she suddenly went deaf."

"Are you all right miss..." The man's voice trailed off. "Glinda the Good?" He turned to Eadlyn, eyes wide. "What are you doing with Glinda the Good?!"

"She's the sister of that girl I was supposed to marry. Things went south but I still need the money I was trying to get out of their old man, so I took her."

"You kidnaped Glinda the Good?!"

Eadlyn shrugged. "What if I did?"

"What if you..." The man shook his head in disbelief. "You do know who she is, right?"

"Yes. So please don't say 'Glinda the Good' again. You sound like a demented parrot."

"She's the sweetheart of Oz, Eadlyn. Everyone and their brother is going to be looking for her."

Eadlyn grinned. "Then I guess her father better cough up the money I'm going to ask for."

"No, you better let her go."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Did you not hear what I said? Everyone and their brother is going to be looking for her!"

"So."

"So? So! Do you really want to spend the rest of your life in Southstairs for daring to touch a hair on her head? People won't just be looking for you, they'll be out for blood. Or have you forgotten the hunting parties that formed when everyone hated the Wicked Witch of the West?"

"First of all, I'm not some freak that flies around on a broom." Eadlyn pointed at his chest. "Secondly, I'm taking her home. Once I hit the Winkie mountains no one will be able to find us."

"I wouldn't count on that." The man shook his head. "She has some friends in very high places."

"Do you mean people like the Wizard or Elphaba?"

"Elphaba?"

"Yes, Elphaba. Formerly known as the Wicked Witch of the West."

"Oh. Then yes. I mean people like them."

"Don't worry. They're going to be too busy to even worry about her being gone."

The man frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The Wizard will be in mourning."

"Mourning?" The man's frown deepened. "What are you talking about?"

"Taking little Miss Glinda here wasn't as easy as I anticipated. I had to kill four Gale Force guards and some close personal friend of the family to get to her."

"You killed five people?"

Eadlyn shook his head. "No, I killed six."

"But you just said..."

"You didn't let me finish." Eadlyn interrupted him. "Elphaba came after us. You see, she and Glinda are lovers." He raised his hand to stop the man from speaking. "I know, hard to believe someone that looks like that would shack up with another woman, but it's true. So I had to kill Elphaba too."

"You..." The man's mouth hung open at this point. "You killed the Witch?"

Eadlyn nodded. "Practically knocked her head off with a tree branch."

Glinda whimpered at his words.

"Shut up." Eadlyn snapped at her before grinning at the man. "Pretty cool, huh? You can say you work for the man who finally rid Oz of their greatest enemy."

"I... You..." The man stammered.

"Look at that." Eadlyn's grin grew into a full fledged smile. "Someone finally rendered you speechless." He looked around the cave. "Where's Gregor? I can't wait to tell him."

"I..." The man tried to regain his composure. "I'm the only one here."

"The only one?" Eadlyn's smile started to fade. "How is that possible?"

"The Gale Force attacked the camp. At first it was just a handful of them but then reinforcements showed up. A few of us managed to escape into the woods but the guards followed. I'm still not sure how I managed to get away."

"So those bastards arrested Gregor?" He rolled his eyes. "I guess we're going to have to stage a jail break before we can head for Winkie Country. The Gale Force set up shop at Upland Manor. The place is too big for them to be able to patrol every inch of the woods surrounding it so sneaking in should be easy enough. Finding him might take a few minutes though." He sighed. "Gregor better appreciate all the trouble we're going to to get him back."

"That's just it." The man finally spoke again. "They didn't arrest him."

"What do you mean they didn't arrest him? You just told me you were the only one who got away."

"I am. They, uh..." The man clinched his jaw. "I know this isn't going to be easy for you to hear, but Gregor is dead."

"What?!"

"I saw him get shot."

"How do you know it killed him?"

"It was a head shot, Eadlyn."

"Shit. Shit!" Eadlyn's bellow echoed around the cave. "This is all your fault!" He turned his rage on Glinda, glaring down at her where she still laid on the ground. "He was like a brother to me!!" He tried to kick her in the stomach but the man grabbed his leg to stop him. "What are you doing?!"

"She wasn't even there, Eadlyn."

"I don't care!"

"It wasn't her fault!" The man raised his voice to keep Eadlyn from trying to hurt Glinda again. "You yourself said you need the money you can get out of her."

"And?!"

"How much do you think her father is going to pay for damaged goods? Or, worse yet, a dead daughter?"

"I..." Eadlyn growled in frustration. "Damn it!!"

"I know losing Gregor is hard but taking it out on her isn't going to help anything." The man gave his words a moment to sink in. "The supplies are along the back wall. Why don't you go dry off, change your clothes and find us some of that rot gut you like so much. We can give Gregor a proper send of."

"What about her?" Eadlyn glared at Glinda.

"I'll take care of her."

"OK." He nodded. "You take care of her."

"I will." The man assured him, waiting until he had disappeared into the shadows at the back of the cave to turn his attention back to the blonde on the ground. "Glinda? Can you hear me?"

She shrank away from his hand. "Don't touch me."

"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. My name is Mason and I'm going to get you out of here."

Glinda looked at him for the first time. "What?"

He nodded. "I always knew Eadlyn was crazy, but this is downright insane. He'll never get out of the Uplands with you."

"But... I thought you were his friend."

"I've been a lot of things to Eadlyn but a friend has never been one of them."

"So you're really going to help me?"

Mason nodded. "I'm really going to help you."

"Why?" Glinda frowned. "What's in it for you?"

"The chance to redeem myself for ever being associated with someone like him." Mason glanced toward the back to make sure Eadlyn was still out of earshot. "Did he really do all those things he said? Did he really kill all those people?"

Glinda sniffled as she nodded.

"Including the Witch?"

"Elphie..." Fresh tears slid down the blonde's cheeks.

"Shhh. Don't cry. I'm only asking because I think he's lying."

"You..." Glinda swallowed around the lump in her throat. "You do?"

"He's always been a braggart."

"But he really did..." Her voice cracked with emotion. "He hurt her."

"Hurting her and killing her are two entirely different things. Did you see that she was dead?"

Glinda shook her head, not trusting her voice to answer.

"Then maybe he just knocked her out. Maybe she's looking for you right now."

She didn't want the ember of hope that ignited in the pit of her stomach to spread, but what if he was right? Hadn't she just been with Elphie? Yes it was in some strange place but they were together. She could still remember the feel of the green woman in her arms.

"I'm going to go get you some dry clothes. All we have are trousers and shirts but I'm sure I can find something remotely close to your size. Then while you're changing I'll get you something to eat."

"I'm not..."

"Don't even say it." Mason cut her off. "You're going to have to keep your strength up if we're going to stand a chance of getting away from him. We can't do that until there's a break in the weather. So until then you're going to let me take care of you. Deal?"

She nodded. "Deal."

"Good."

Glinda reached for his hand as he started to stand. "Thank you."

Mason gave her a half grin. "Don't thank me yet."


	28. Chapter 28

"Addena."

Her brow furrowed when she heard her name.

"Addena, wake up."

Her frown deepened when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "Five more minutes."

"Sweetheart, I really need you to wake up for me."

"Not yet."

"Addena Upland open your eyes!"

She did was she was told, blinking groggily to clear her vision. "Mom?" She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Ginny bit her lip. "It's uh..." She swallowed hard, hating what she was about to do. "It's Breena."

"Bree?" It took her sleepy mind a second to comprehend what she was hearing. When she did she gripped her mother's hand. "What happened?"

"Her fever's gone up again. We didn't want to wake you but..."

"How high is it?" Addena let go of her and swung her legs off the bed, ignoring her body's protests as she slipped on her shoes.

"She feels like she's on fire."

"Damn it." She vented her frustration as she stood. "I never should have left her."

"Addena..."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like this was your fault because it's not."

"Well it's not yours either."

Addena scoffed.

"Don't do that." Ginny chastised her.

"Do what?"

"Blame yourself. There's no way you could have known this would happen."

"Her fever wasn't coming down and I knew there was a possibility that it could go up. I should have stayed with her, not come in here to sleep."

"You needed to rest." Ginny sighed when her daughter breezed past her. "Stop right there."

Addena turned to face her. "Mom, I appreciate what you're trying to do but we really don't have time for this right now."

"Well you're going to make time." Ginny's tone didn't leave any room for argument. "Breena needs you, but not if you're going to go into that room with a guilty conscience. Even in her condition she'll pick up on it in a heartbeat and be too concerned about what's wrong with you to concentrate on getting better. You can worry about her all you want, just don't shoulder the burden of what happened to her. If you want to blame someone, blame your father. He's the idiot who brought Eadlyn into our lives in the first place."

"But I..."

"You what? Love Breena? Did that love cause her injury? No, a man with a sword did. And did your love make her leg get infected? No, that was circumstances beyond your control." Ginny gripped her chin, raising her head so she could stare into blue eyes that matched her own. "I'm convinced the love you share brought her back in that camp today though. And I think it can save her life again, but not if you have it buried under a ton of guilt."

"You're right." A lonely tear made its way down Addena's cheek. "This isn't my fault."

"That's better." Ginny lovingly wiped the tear away. "Your strength has always amazed me, but you're due for a good breakdown when this whole ordeal is over."

Addena sighed. "I plan on it."

"She's going to be all right, Addena. That's what you have to keep telling yourself."

"I'm trying."

Ginny tucked a lock of hair behind her daughter's ear. "That's all you can do sweetie."

Addena pulled her into a hug. "Thanks for keeping me centered Mom."

"That's what I'm here for." She held her close for a moment before pulling back to look at her. "Now let's go make that girl of yours feel better."

They held hands as they made their way down the hall to Addena's room. She stopped once they reached her doorway, giving herself a moment to take a deep breath before going inside.

"Addena." The Wizard turned from where he was standing at the foot of the bed. "Thank Oz you're here."

"Her fever is spiking." Penny explained as she ran a cool cloth over Breena's brow.

Addena made a beeline for the bed, instantly slipping into doctor mode. Her heart sank when she saw Breena's face was pinched in pain and she was bathed in sweat. "How long has she been like this?"

"Not long." The Wizard fielded the question. "Fiyero came to sit with Elphaba so I decided to check on Breena. Your mother and I were having a conversation when she started tossing and turning."

"When they called me in I thought her fever was breaking." Penny continued as she surrendered her spot at the bedside to the doctor. "But then I realized her temperature was even higher."

"Addy?" Breena's brow furrowed, her breath ragged. "Addy?!"

"Shhh." Addena put her hand on her brow, resisting the urge to instantly withdraw it when she felt how hot she was. "I'm right here baby."

Green eyes fluttered open. "It hurts."

"I know. I'm going to try to make it feel better, all right?"

Breena nodded as her eyes slid shut again.

Addena didn't waste any time pulling the sheet off the witch's body, glad to see someone had put her in a sleeveless night shift. At least modestly wouldn't be an issue. She quickly lifted the hem of the shirt and started removing the bandage around Breena's right thigh. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw how red and swollen the skin was around the stitches.

"Damn it." Addena put her hand over the wound, not at all surprised to find it was just as hot as the rest of Breena's body. "I'm going to have to open the wound so it can drain."

"What?!" The Wizard looked at her incredulously. "How is reopening it going to help?!"

"Fluid is building up in her leg because of the infection. If it doesn't come out it could make her sicker than she already is."

"Or kill her." He finished her train of thought. "Do it. Whatever it takes to give her a chance."

Addena nodded. "Penny, I'm going to need a basin of hot soapy water and some more rags."

The Lioness hurried out of the room.

"Mom, I need you to take the Wizard out in the hall."

"But..."

"Trust me when I say this isn't something you need to see." She stopped his protest.

"Can I at least tell her goodb..." He stopped short, mentally kicking himself for what he'd almost said. "Can I tell her I love her?"

"Of course."

The Wizard made his way to the side of the bed, clinching his jaw in an attempt to keep a handle on his emotions. "Breena?"

Her eyes fluttered open when she heard her name.

"Hey you." He gave her a half hearted smile.

"Dad?" Breena frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard a nasty rumor that a certain young lady I know was missing so I had to come see what was going on."

The corner of her mouth turned up. "I knew where I was all along."

He chuckled in spite of himself. "I'm sure you did." He took her hand in his. "You've got to be strong right now, Breena. Can you do that for me?"

"I'll try."

The Wizard blinked back tears. "I love you."

"Love you too… mush ball."

"Mush ball? I'll show you a mush ball." He leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. "Don't even think of going anywhere young lady."

"Can't." Breena looked up at him. "You used the dad voice."

"Yes I did." The Wizard cupped her cheek. "Which means you have to do what I say."

"I'm back." Penny practically sprinted into the room.

"I'll be right outside." He gave her another kiss before reluctantly letting go of her hand to turn and face Addena. "Take good care of my girl."

"Count on it." Addena squeezed his shoulder. "I'll come get you as soon as we're done."

As a parent Ginny couldn't blame him for wanting to be with Breena but she had learned a long time ago to take Addena's advice when she said she didn't want her to see something. She took the Wizard by the hand and led him out of the room.

"Do you want me to stay?"

Addena gave Penny a grateful look. "I'd appreciate it."

"Just tell me what to do."

"Hand me what I ask for." Addena glanced at Breena. "And try to keep her calm."

"I am calm."

Addena gave her girlfriend a look. "This would be a lot easier if you were unconscious."

"Sorry. Can't help you there."

"You just have to be stubborn, don't you?"

"Always."

Addena ran her fingers through Breena's hair. "I'll try to be as gentle as I can but this is going to hurt."

"It's OK. I trust you."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." She leaned down and gave her a kiss. "I love you, Bree."

"Bet I love you more."

"We'll have that argument later." She gave her another, more lingering kiss, relishing in the feel of those lips on her own. "Stick around, OK?"

Breena nodded. "Let's get this show on the road."

Addena held the witch's gaze for a moment longer before straightening up again. "You heard the lady."

"Hey Addy?"

"Yes Bree?"

"I really do love you."

"I love you too. Now stop distracting me." Addena looked at Penny. "Let's get started."

* * *

An hour later an exhausted Addena drug herself out of the room to find not only the Wizard and her mother waiting, but Fiyero, Cade, Maeve and Lion as well.

"Looks like the gang's all here." Addena teased, trying to keep her tone light.

"We all wanted to see how Breena is doing." Maeve answered before anyone else could.

"And I left Fae's door open so we could hear her." Fiyero was quick to point out. "But she hasn't woken up again."

"How's Breena?" Lion anxiously asked. "Did she make it through with flying colors?"

"Give her a chance to speak." The Wizard put an end to the rapid fire chatter.

"Breena is the same." Addena's voice sounded as tired as she looked. "We drained the wound and cleaned it again but her temperature hasn't gone down."

"Yet." The Wizard spoke up again. "That's what you meant to say, right? Her temperature hasn't come down yet but it will."

Addena nodded. "That's what we're hoping for."

"Hoping for?" Fiyero echoed her words. "That doesn't sound very encouraging." He frowned when Maeve smacked him on the arm. "What? It doesn't."

Lion fidgeted with his tail. "Is Breena going to be all right?"

"I'm not going to lie to you. Right now it's touch and go. If we can get her temperature to start coming down she has a good chance of pulling through."

"But if not she might…" The Wizard couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Ginny rubbed soothing circles on his back as he leaned forward in his chair, putting his head in his hands. "Is there anything we can do, Addena?"

The doctor nodded. "Someone could check to see if the guards have made it back from the hospital with the antibiotics yet."

"I'll do it." Lion was gone in a flash.

"I can sit with Elphaba tonight." Fiyero volunteered.

"Oh no you can't." Maeve contradicted him. "The Gale Force doctor who looked at your wound said you needed to rest. You can't do that sitting up in a chair all night."

"But…"

"She's right, Fiyero." Addena cut him off. "The last thing we need is for you to get sick too." She gave him a look when he opened his mouth to protest again. "You can sit with her tomorrow."

"Fine." Fiyero growled, wincing as he got out of his chair. "But I'll be back first thing in the morning."

"I'll make sure he makes it to the guest wing." Maeve fell into step next to the former scarecrow as he stormed away, throwing a, "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help," over her shoulder as they went.

"I should go too." Cade pushed himself away from the wall he'd been leaning on next to Ginny's chair. "We're just waiting for a break in the weather to start the search for Glinda and Eadlyn. If it hasn't stopped in a few hours we're going to head out anyway. They couldn't have gotten very far in this storm."

"Thank you." Ginny put her hand on his arm.

"Glinda's very important to everyone in Oz, Mrs. Upland. We won't let anything happen to her." He stopped in front of the Wizard, putting his hand on his shoulder. "And don't you give up on your girls. They're pretty tough."

The Wizard didn't respond.

"Let us know what's going on with the search." Addena requested.

"I will." Cade assured her. "And you keep your chin up too. She'll pull through. You'll see."

Addena nodded, not really trusting her voice to answer. She gave herself a moment after he walked away before returning her attention to her mother and the Wizard. "I'm going to go check on Elphaba."

"Can I…" The Wizard finally looked up, tears staining his cheeks. "Can I sit with Breena while you're with Elphaba? I'll leave when start treating her again. I just…" He swallowed hard. "I have some things I need to say."

"Of course you do." Ginny's heart was breaking for him.

Addena gestured toward the door. "Go ahead."

The Wizard sprang to his feet as soon as she said the words and hurried into the room. He stopped short when he caught sight of his daughter. If it was at all possible she was even paler than she had been before.

Penny looked up from wiping Breena's face with a cool cloth. "I'll give you some privacy."

"No, please." He gestured for her to stay where she was. "She might need you."

Penny went back to trying to comfort the witch.

"Is she..." He stammered as he slowly closed the gap to the bed, suddenly unsure of what he was doing. "Is she conscious?"

"No." Penny shook her head. "She passed out again while Addena was cleaning her wound."

"Oh," was all he could manage as he sat in the chair next to the bed, gently taking Breena's hand in his own. "I never knew being a dad was going to be this hard." He wasn't sure if he was talking to Breena or Penny or maybe a combination of both. "I mean, it's always taken a lot to really scare me but right now I'm petrified. You're lying here fighting for your life and your sister won't wake up next door. I never knew someone could worry this much about someone else."

He watched Penny dip the cloth in a basin of water and wring it out before she started running it gently over Breena's face again. "This can't be how it ends, Breena. I can't lose you, not so soon after finding out about you. We haven't had enough time. _I_ haven't had enough time to be a real father to you."

His voice cracked as tears filled his eyes. "So I'm going to make you an offer. If you get better I'll make more of an effort to be the kind of father you deserve. But you have to fight, Breena. You have to come back to us." He swallowed a sob. "You have to live."

Ginny backed out of the doorway as his emotions got the better of him and he laid his head on the edge of the bed to cry. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The girls were young. They were supposed to be off conquering the world, not getting kidnapped or hurt or worse.

Just thinking of Glinda with Eadlyn sent chills down her spine. Her little girl, her baby, was in the hands of a madman. It was enough to make her want to curl up on her bed and have a good cry. But she couldn't do that. She wouldn't give up on Glinda that way. Her daughter might be blonde and perky and seem harmless but she was more of a fighter than people gave her credit for. She would find a way back to them.

And right now she couldn't do anything for Glinda. Short of joining Cade and his men when they rode out, which no one would allow to happen, and praying that her daughter made it home safely, her hands were tied. But that wasn't the case with Addena. Her oldest needed a shoulder to lean on in the worst possible way.

With that in mind she walked into Glinda's room.

"I could use your help, Elphaba." Addena spoke, oblivious to her mother's presence. "Breena is… She's… Let's just say she's not doing very well right now. So if you could wake up and use some of that sisterly influence you have on her to tell her to get better, I'd appreciate it. She always listens to you better than anyone else."

She waited a moment for a response. "OK, maybe I sugar coated that a little too much. She's weak, Elphaba. Maybe too weak to come out of this. And I know you'll never forgive yourself if you're this close and not with her if something happens. She's right next door for crying out loud. So open your eyes, Elphaba. Open your eyes and go give her an earful for scaring everyone."

"If I didn't know better I would say you were trying to guilt her into waking up."

Addena yelped when she heard the voice behind her. "Mom! You almost gave me a heart attack."

Ginny joined her at Elphaba's side. "You were, weren't you?"

"No." Addena managed not to squirm under her mother's scrutiny for a whole second before rolling her eyes and sighing. "Fine, yes I was. But you don't understand. They have one of the strongest bonds I've ever seen. It's like they feed off of one another. If anyone can help Breena recover it's her."

"Addena?" Ginny frowned at the change in her daughter's demeanor. Her voice was getting louder and she was gesturing wildly with her hands. "Honey?"

"I can't do it alone, Mom. I just... it's not enough. Breena's so sick and she just keeps getting weaker and weaker by the second. And nothing I do makes a difference. I've tried everything. But she's still..." Tears started streaming down her cheeks. "What if she..."

"Come here." Ginny wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Addena buried her head against her mother's shoulder. "It's not fair Mom."

"I know sweetie."

"I finally find someone to love who loves me back and she could..." She choked on a sob. "I don't want to lose her."

"I wish I could tell you you won't baby, but I can't." Ginny rubbed her back. "The sad thing about this life is how short it can be cut."

"I'm not giving up on her, Mom. I couldn't even if I wanted to but... It's just so hard seeing her like that. Knowing that I'm doing my best for her and realizing it might not be enough."

"But you're trying sweetie."

"I know. I just... I wish I could do more."

"Unfortunately you can't." Ginny gave her another squeeze. "It looks like part of your breakdown came sooner than you expected."

Addena nodded, her tears still falling.

"Come on." Ginny led her to the couch by the door. "We're going to sit down here and give the Wizard some time with Breena. And if you just so happen to cry a little, so be it."

Addena gave her a weak grin. "Thanks, Mom."

"You don't have to thank me, honey. I love you."

"I love you too." Addena burrowed closer to her as they got comfortable on the couch.

Neither one of them noticed Elphaba's eyes trying to flutter open.


	29. Chapter 29

Glinda sat with her back against the cave wall, her knees drawn up to her chest in an effort to make herself smaller. So far Mason had made good on his promise to keep Eadlyn away from her but she didn't want to take any chances by making her presence known. Eadlyn was already into his second bottle of the rot gut Mason referred to earlier and she had even less desire to deal with him now that he was well on his way to being drunk than when he was sober.

"Gregor was one hell of a guy, wasn't he?"

"A real peach," was Mason's less than convincing response.

Eadlyn didn't seem to notice as he took another swig from the bottle in his hand. "Do you remember the time he strangled that girl? He said it happened in the throes of passion, but I had my doubts. I mean, if I killed a chick while I was doing her I would at least finish what I started and then hide the body."

Glinda couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"But do you think he did? No." Eadlyn gestured with the bottle. "He ran away like a scared little baby and came looking for me. Left her right out in the open where anyone could see her."

Her stomach turned when he half chuckled and nostalgically shook his head. How could he laugh over a dead girl?

"My father was absolutely furious when he heard about it. But I have to give the old man credit. Gregor was like another son to him so he made the whole thing go away. The two of them were back to swapping hunting stories the next day." He chuckled again. "Remember some of the doozies they'd tell each other?"

"No." Mason answered. "Your father died before I met you."

"He did?" Eadlyn furrowed his brow. "Oh yeah." He pointed at Mason. "That happened when we were teenagers."

Glinda shuddered at the thought of anyone ever committing such an act, especially when they were little more than a child. Then again these weren't normal people she was dealing with.

She glanced at Mason, wondering yet again if she could trust him. Was he sincere when he said he wanted to redeem himself for being associated with someone like Eadlyn or were the two men playing some kind of twisted game with her? She wouldn't put it past Eadlyn to toy with her now that he thought he had her all to himself. And how was she to know Mason wouldn't go along with it?

Then again, what choice did she have but to put a little faith in him? Without his help she was screwed. It was one of those damned if you do, damned if don't situations. All she could do was stay on her toes and be ready for whatever came her way.

"All right, how about the time he..."

She tuned Eadlyn out as he launched into another Gregor story, turning her attention to the mouth of the cave instead. She half expected to see Elphie emerge from the blackness on her broom, a grim expression on her face as she rode in to save the day and rescue her lover. But then the image of Eadlyn standing over the green woman in a heap on the ground reminded her that Elphaba hadn't been in the best of shape last time she saw her.

How long ago had that been? They left the house midmorning and couldn't have been in the woods much more than an hour when Eadlyn went berserk. Who knew how long Elphie was chasing them through the woods before Eadlyn finally gained the upper hand, attacking poor Elphie and punching her to knock her out when she refused to leave her lover. It was dusk when she came to and they reached the cave. But now it was dark as pitch outside with only the occasional flash of lightning to break the blackness.

She sighed. Trying to put together a timeline made her head hurt even worse than it had before. Every second away from Elphie felt like an eternity so who cared how much time had actually passed? She might as well just accept that fact that no one was coming to get her anytime soon and get over it.

Oh how she wished Elphie was there to hold her and tell her everything was going to be all right. Maybe if she shut her eyes for a few minutes she would go back to wherever she was when she was unconscious and she could see her Elphie again.

"Glinda?"

She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry." Mason was quick to let go of her. "Eadlyn went to get another bottle so I thought I would come and check on you." He pursed his lips and shook his head as he took in the driving rain outside. "I was hoping to get him good and plastered so he would pass out and we could make a run for it…"

Glinda's heart leapt at the prospect of escaping.

"But I don't think we're going to be going anywhere anytime soon."

And just like that she was right back where she started.

"I didn't mean to make that sound like I'm giving up. I gave my word I would get you away from him and that's what I'm going to do. I just don't think it's going to happen tonight."

"That's all right." Glinda's voice sounded emotionless, even to her.

Mason gave her a sympathetic look. "Look, there are no guarantees in life so I can't promise that I'm not going to let you down. But I can promise to do my best not to."

"Mason?"

He turned when he heard Eadlyn's voice. "I better get back to him before he comes over here. But I meant what I said, Glinda." He locked eyes with her. "I'm going to get you out of here. Now why don't you try to get some sleep? I'll make sure he leaves you alone."

She didn't say a word as he walked away.

"There you are." Eadlyn grinned at him. "Did I tell you about killing the Wicked Witch of the West?"

Glinda put her hand over her mouth to keep from gasping.

"All it took was a thick tree branch," he made a swinging motion with his free hand, half giggling when he threw himself off balance and nearly fell. "And crack! She went down without a peep."

Tears streamed down Glinda's cheeks as she buried her head against her knees. He was wrong. He had to be. Someone needed to come for her and tell her that Elphie was all right. Better yet, Elphie herself could stroll in and save the day like she kept imagining. As long as it happened sooner rather than later because she didn't know how much more of this nightmare she could take.

* * *

A bright light filled her senses, making her flinch.

"_I think she's waking up."_

The voice seemed to swirl through her, booming and sounding far away all at the same time.

"_Should I go get the Wizard?"_

"Yes!" her mind screamed. Maybe her father would be able to make some sense of what was happening to her.

"_Not yet."_

Not yet? What did they mean not yet? She needed someone to help her.

"_Elphaba?"_

A cool hand fell on her brow.

"_Elphaba, can you hear me?"_

Addena. That was definitely Addena. A hand gripped her own.

"_If you can hear me, grip my hand Elphaba. Can you do that? Grip my hand?"_

She followed the sound of the voice until she caught a glimpse of blonde hair. Hoping the blonde lock belonged to her lover gave her enough motivation to finally open her eyes.

"Glinda?" She croaked.

"No, Elphaba, it's me. Addena." The doctor looked down at her, relief stamped on her brow.

"She's talking this time. Does that mean she's going to stay with us?"

Addena sighed. "I hope so."

Elphaba's brow furrowed. "This time?"

"You've been teasing us for quite a while now, fluttering your eyes and groaning but not waking up."

Elphaba looked to the left when she realized someone other than Addena was speaking to find an older blonde looking at her. "Who…" She swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat. "Who are you?"

"Ginella, but you can call me Ginny." She smiled. "I'm Glinda and Addena's mother."

"Here." Addena lifted her head and helped her take a drink of water. "This should help with your voice."

"Thanks." Elphaba winced at the pain the movement caused in her head, glad when Addena lowered her back down on the pillows. "What happened?"

Ginny suddenly looked anxious. "You don't remember?"

Elphaba frowned at the change in her expression. "Should I?"

"Just give yourself a minute." Addena assured her.

"What if she doesn't remember?" Ginny stage whispered. "What if she can't?!"

"She can hear you, Mom." Addena gave her mother a look. "And she just woke up. Things are bound to be a little fuzzy."

"Breena!" Elphaba suddenly tried to sit up. "We have to find Bree!" She slammed her eyes shut when the room started spinning.

"Whoa." Addena put her hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down. "Bree is here, Elphaba."

"She…" She fought against the queasy feeling in her stomach. "She is?"

"Right next door." Ginny answered.

"Thank Oz." Elphaba relaxed again. "We went to look for her and…" She furrowed her brow. "No, we were tricking Eadlyn. He had her and we were tricking him into thinking we didn't know."

"She's confused."

"No, she's right." Addena disagreed with her mother.

"She is?" Ginny quirked an eyebrow. Things had been a little too hectic for her to hear the whole story before.

Addena nodded. "Eadlyn volunteered to help with the search to try to throw us off but I overheard him telling his buddy Gregor to go to the camp and tell them he would be there as soon as he could slip away."

It was Ginny's turn to nod. "For the gauntlet."

"Gauntlet?" Elphaba wrinkled her nose. "No one has gauntlets anymore."

"Well they were going to."

"But they didn't." Addena interrupted them before they could say more. "I stayed behind with Cade when the others left and we followed Gregor to the camp."

Ginny pursed her lips. "So that's how you found us?"

"Glinda!" Elphaba suddenly gripped Addena's hand. "Eadlyn took Glinda!"

Addena stopped her from trying to get out of bed again. "Elphaba, you need to calm down."

"Calm down?!" She winced in pain as she raised her voice. "Does he still have her?"

"He must." Addena hated her answer but it was the only one she had. "Fiyero said there was no sign of either of them when he found you."

"Then how am I supposed to calm down?!" Images raced through her mind. "Damn stupid vision. I might have been able to stop him if I knew what was going on."

"Vision?" Ginny frowned.

"Visions are part of Elphaba's magic powers." Addena explained as she stroked the green woman's arm, trying to soothe her. "They hit her hard and fast and she normally passes out afterwards."

"I did this time too." Elphaba refused to think about what she'd seen. "And Fiyero… Sweet Oz, Fiyero! Eadlyn shot him."

"He's all right." Ginny spoke up this time. "He got mad when we told him he needed to rest instead of sitting with you tonight but he's going to be fine."

"He is?"

Addena nodded. "Yes. I sent Lion to check on him a little while ago and Maeve told him Fiyero was sleeping like a baby."

"Maeve?" Elphaba looked confused. "What is she doing here?"

Ginny said, "She brought the Grimmerie."

"She did?"

Addena nodded again. "Apparently Yackle thought you might need it."

"Maybe we will." Elphaba closed her eyes for a moment to try and ward off the throbbing in her skull.

"Finish telling us what happened to Glinda." Ginny prodded.

"Mother!"

"It's all right." Elphaba licked her lips as she opened her eyes. "I went after Eadlyn and Glinda on my broom but I couldn't use my magic on him for fear of hurting her. She must have realized that because she..." She swallowed hard. "She threw herself off the horse they were riding to give me an open shot."

Ginny's eyes got big. "She what?!"

"Here." Addena handed her another glass of water. "Drink this."

Elphaba sipped the water before continuing. "She wasn't hurt too badly, mostly bumps and bruises. I was trying to check her over when Eadlyn came back. The horse got spooked when Glinda jumped off and took him into the woods." She explained when she saw Ginny was confused. "Everything gets hazy from there. All I remember is a tree branch."

"Which explains the knot on the back of your head."

A green hand went to the area in question, wincing when her fingers made contact with the knot. "How long was I out?"

"A good while." Ginny spoke up.

"Fiyero brought you here early in the evening and it's pretty late now." Addena tried to give her a better sense of time.

"Or early in the morning depending on how you look at it." Her mother added.

"I would say you have a concussion. A couple of days in bed and you should be as good as new."

"I don't have a couple of days." Elphaba argued. "I have to find Glinda."

"What you have to do is heal." Addena argued right back. "Mom, I think it's safe for you to get the Wizard now."

Ginny gave Elphaba a pat on the leg. "I'll be right back."

"Addena, I..."

"Stop being stubborn, Elphaba."

"But..."

"You're not in any condition to do anything but lay there so that's what you're going to do."

"I..."

"Save your breath. Glinda would never forgive me if anything happens to you."

"Glinda." Tears filled Elphaba's eyes.

"She'll come back to us, Elly." Addena took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Cade and a group of guards left a couple of hours ago. I don't know what they're hoping to accomplish in this storm, but he was determined to start searching for Glinda. He said he would send a rider back the instant they found something."

Elphaba wiped at her cheeks with her free hand. "He's a good man."

"Yes he is." Addena agreed, needing to change the subject before she started to cry too. "Are you strong enough to sit up for a little while?"

"I think so."

"Great." Addena helped her sit up, fussing with the pillows for a second before easing her back against them. "How's that?"

"Elphaba?" The Wizard's voice broke in before she could answer. "Elphaba!"

Addena flinched as he tore across the room and took his daughter in his arms. "Easy." She cautioned him. "She's still a little on the fragile side."

"But she's conscious." The Wizard pulled back to look at her. "She came back to us." He cupped her cheek for a second before throwing his arms around her again. "She came back."

Elphaba shared a look with Addena and Ginny when he started crying. "Dad?"

"I'm sorry... I just..." He let go of her to dry his tears. "You scared me, Elphaba. I thought..." He shook his head. "I wasn't so sure you were going to wake up."

"I'm sorry." Elphaba put her hand on his arm. "I didn't mean to scare you." She suddenly looked around the room. "Where's Bree?"

"She, uh..." The Wizard looked to Addena for help.

"What?" Elphaba followed his gaze. "Is she asleep or something?"

"Not quite." Ginny tried to help.

Elphaba frowned. "Then where is she?"

"She's..." Addena sighed. "She's sick Elphaba."

"What?" Her frown deepened. "How is that possible?"

"The men at the camp gave her something to bind her powers." Ginny fielded the question. "Some fighting broke out and she got hurt trying to protect me."

Addena put her hand on her mother's shoulder. "She was stabbed in the leg. The wound got infected and now she's got a high fever."

Elphaba was trying to process what she was hearing. "How high is high?"

"Very." Addena didn't want to elaborate more. "We're trying to bring it down."

"Trying?" Elphaba echoed the word. "Isn't it working?"

"Of course it is." The Wizard tried to reassure her. "Just not as quickly as Addena would like."

"When you told me she was here I just assumed she was all right. Why didn't one of you tell me?"

"You were already worried enough about Glinda." Addena shouldered the blame.

"So you were just going to keep it from me?" Elphaba looked disgusted. "She's my sister. I want to see her."

Addena shook her head. "Elphaba..."

"I want to see her." She repeated herself as she tried to get up again, making her head spin.

"I've got you." The Wizard was quick to steady her.

"I need to see her, Dad." Elphaba weakly begged. "Please."

"I don't know, Elphaba. You just woke up and..."

"You don't understand." Tears swam in her eyes. "I had a vision today. It was... She... We were at her funeral."

The Wizard's mouth popped open. "She was..."

Elphaba nodded. "Please take me to her." She switched her attention to Addena. "Please let me be with her. I want to be there if... I need to be with her if something happens."

"OK." Addena agreed, knowing she would want the same thing if the shoe was on the other foot. "I'll get Lion to take you next door."

"No." The Wizard was quick to speak. "I'll do it." He took Elphaba in his arms. "Are you all right?"

"Fine." Elphaba's voice was strained.

They started out of the room, the Wizard being extra careful not to jostle his daughter with Addena right beside them in case she was needed. Ginny followed close behind, the pillows from Glinda's bed clutched in her arms so they could make Elphaba as comfortable as possible.

"Addena, Penny says she needs you to..." Lion's voice trailed off as he met them at the door. "Elphaba." His face split in a smile. "You're awake!"

"What did Penny need?" Addena tried to keep him on track.

"Oh, she wanted you to come check on Breena but you're already on your way." He gave Elphaba another smile. "You're just what Breena needs."

Elphaba started to say she hoped so but couldn't form the words as they walked into Addena's room and she caught sight of her sister. She was nearly as white as the sheet covering her and covered in beads of sweat.

"Addena, her breathing is getting shallower. I wasn't sure if that meant she was getting worse or... Oh!" Penny was startled to see everyone walk into the room.

"Elphaba, this is Penny. She was with us at the camp." Ginny handled the introductions as she went to the bed and started making a place for Elphaba next to her sister. "She and Breena hit it off."

"It's an honor to meet you Miss Elphaba." Penny gave a slight bow.

The witch didn't seem to hear her as she continued to stare at her sister.

"I'll, uh.." Penny grabbed Lion by the arm. "We'll just leave you alone."

"Hey!" Lion frowned as she started to pull him out of the room. "What are you doing?"

"They need some time alone." The Lioness explained.

"But..."

His protest was cut off as Penny pulled him into the hallway and shut the bedroom door.

"Here you go." The Wizard gently lowered her to the bed beside Breena.

"Bree?" Elphaba instantly reached for her sister's hand, shocked at the heat she felt radiating from it. "She's so hot."

Addena looked down at her girlfriend sadly. "It's the fever."

Elphaba drank in her sister's features for another moment. "What are her chances?"

"Elphaba..."

"Just be straight with me, Addena." She blinked back tears. "Is she going to make it?"

"I don't know." Addena gave a frustrated half shrug. "If her temperature starts to come down or, better yet, her fever breaks completely, I think she'll be fine. But right now things aren't looking too good. I've given her all the antibiotics I had and tried everything I can think of to cool her down but nothing's working."

"It will." Elphaba kept a tight grip on her sister's hand. "It has to."

"It looks like it's going to be a long rest of the night. Why don't I go down to the kitchen and get us all a snack and something to drink?" Ginny volunteered. "Elphaba, do you think you could handle some soup?"

"I'm not..."

"You might as well tell her yes and get it over with because neither one of us is going to take no for an answer." The Wizard cut her off. "You need to keep up your strength."

"Fine." Elphaba sighed. "I guess I can try."

Ginny gave her a 'good girl' smirk. "And I'll bring you a sandwich, Dena."

"The same thing goes for you." The Wizard pointed at her when she started to protest. "Breena is going to need you both. Come on, Ginny, I'll help you."

"Nonsense." Ginny gestured at him with her hand. "You should stay here and..."

"It will only take a few minutes." The Wizard spoke over her. "Elphaba needs some time with her sister."

"He's right." Addena agreed. "I'll walk you to the door."

Elphaba didn't even notice them leaving. "None of this seems real." She sat up to get a better look at her sister. "You're not going anywhere, Bree, so just get that thought out of your head right now and start getting better." She didn't expect to get a response but paused for a moment just to make sure she wouldn't get one. "All right, I'll give you a little longer, but don't push your luck. I'm not in a very good mood."

She tried not to groan as she leaned in to kiss her sister's cheek. "I love you, Bree. And I'm right here."

She somehow managed to ease herself back against her pillows. Moving around and emotions had zapped what little strength she had. Her eyes started to drift shut as she tightened her grip on her sister's hand.

"I'm right here."


	30. Chapter 30

Addena's breath caught in her throat as she bolted upright, her eyes desperately scanning the room around her. "What? What's going on?"

"Sorry."

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard her mother's voice.

"I didn't mean to wake you." Ginny put her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I was just trying to cover you with a blanket."

Addena frowned. "Why am I sleeping on my couch?"

"The Wizard brought you over after you fell asleep in the chair."

"The chair?" Her frown deepened as she echoed her mother's words.

"You always were a bit of a sleepyhead." Ginny grinned as she sat down next to her. "You dozed off with your head on the side of the bed. It looked extremely uncomfortable so we agreed he should bring you over here. Don't worry," she tucked her daughter's hair behind her ear, "I kept an eye on Breena while you were sleeping."

"Bree?" Addena's head snapped toward the bed, the last of the cobwebs leaving her mind when she heard her girlfriend's name. "I should..."

"You should stay right here until you're really awake." Ginny put her hand on her daughter's arm, keeping her in place. "I already told you I kept an eye on her for you. I might not be a doctor but I've taken care of sick people before." Her tone was teasing.

"I know but..."

"Her temperature even came down."

"It did?"

Ginny nodded. "She feels cooler to me. Which you can confirm for yourself in a few minutes." She stopped her from trying to get up again.

"Thank Oz." Addena relaxed against the back of the couch. "Those antibiotics the guards finally brought must have helped."

"I'm sure they did." Ginny looked toward the bed. "But I think you were right about Elphaba being able to help her too. She started doing better once they were together."

"It doesn't surprise me." Addena stretched. "Just wait until you see them in action Mom. It's almost creepy."

"So are you and Glinda sometimes."

"What?"

"Don't drop your jaw at me." Ginny gently closed her daughter's mouth. "It's all part of being siblings, darling. Especially sisters. Think about how close your aunt Gwendolyn and I are." She got a wistful look on her face. "We can still finish each other's sentences when we want to. And I bet she can sense something is wrong right now. I'll have a letter within the week."

"I never thought of it that way." Addena nodded. "But you're right. Glinda and I are still pretty close even though we haven't seen much of each other since I went off to school." She narrowed her eyes. "Do you think maybe it has something to do with our magic?"

"The magic of sisterhood perhaps, but not the abilities we have." She suddenly yawned. "Oh, excuse me."

"You're exhausted." Addena suddenly felt guilty. "Here I was sleeping when you were the one in that camp."

"Don't even start." Ginny warned her. "You're the one who's been on an emotional roller coaster. You never were very good at admitting when you needed someone to take care of you instead of the other way around."

"I get it honest." Addena cupped her mother's cheek, tears swimming in her eyes. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"So am I." Ginny had some tears of her own. "All I could think about was getting back to you and Glinda." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I'm so worried about your sister."

"Me too. But if anyone can find a way back to us it's Linny."

"I know. She's always been a resourceful one."

Addena put her arm around Ginny, pulling her close so her mother's head was against her shoulder. "Is that what you call it?"

Ginny chuckled. "I'm sure there are a few other words we could use but that's the most ladylike."

They sat in a comfortable silence until Addena realized her mother was dozing off. "Mom? Why don't you go into Glinda's room and get some sleep?"

"I can't." Ginny yawned again. "I made the Wizard lay down a little while ago."

"Then go to your room."

"No."

"Mom..."

"I owe that girl my life, Dena." Ginny cut her off. "I want to be here for her." She nuzzled closer to her daughter. "And you."

The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "Now who's not letting themselves be taken care of?"

"You said you got it honest."

"Will you at least stretch out here on the couch?"

"That I can do."

Addena got up and helped her mother get situated before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too. You'll wake me if anything happens?"

"You're a light sleeper, Mom. You'll be able to hear everything."

"Addena."

"Fine." The doctor sighed. "I'll be sure to wake you if anything happens."

"With either of them." Ginny was already half asleep.

"With either of them." She agreed.

"Elphaba didn't wake up again."

"I'll be sure to check on her." Addena pulled the blanket up to her mother's chin, giving her another kiss on top of the head. "Now go to sleep."

She waited until Ginny's eyes drifted shut to walk over to the bed, stretching as she went. She was going to have to thank the Wizard for putting her on the couch. If her back was this knotted from sleeping on it she could just imagine what it would have been like if they'd left her in the chair.

She turned when she heard a gentle knock on the door.

"Hey." Penny whispered as she opened the door to peek around it. "Just thought I would check to see if you needed anything."

Addena gestured for her to come in. "Did you get any sleep?"

"A little." Penny joined her at the bedside. "Your mother made sure of that." She looked at the two women on the bed. "How are they?"

"I haven't had a chance to examine them yet, but Mom said she thought Breena's temperature had come down."

"Really?"

Addena grinned at her enthusiasm. "Mom wasn't kidding when she told Elphaba the two of you hit it off."

"Breena is everything I thought she would be." Penny blushed at the comment. "I mean from stories I'd heard about her. I can't wait to get to know Elphaba better too."

"They're two peas in a pod." Addena put her hand on Breena's brow, relieved beyond words when she found the raging inferno had cooled to more of a high flame. "Mom was right. Her temperature is definitely down."

"That's wonderful." Penny grinned, watching the doctor as she checked Breena's pulse. "Do you think we should wake Elphaba so she can eat something?"

"It probably wouldn't be a bad idea." She gripped the Lioness' shoulder when she started to go around the bed. "Why don't you let me do it? She might not react too well to a face she doesn't recognize."

"I didn't even think of that."

"Not that she'd hurt you on purpose or anything."

"I know." Penny shook her head. "But I saw Breena use her magic on some of the trappers before we were captured. Let's just say I wouldn't want to piss either of them off."

"Me either." Addena grinned as she made her way to the other side of the bed. "Elphaba?" She gripped the green woman's shoulder. Sometime during the night she had flipped onto her side so that she held Breena's hand with one hand and had the other on her sister's arm. "It's time to wake up." She frowned when she didn't get a response and gave her a gentle shake. "Elphaba?"

Penny frowned. "She won't wake up?"

Addena didn't respond as she rolled the witch onto her back. "Elphaba?" She tapped her on the cheek. "Elphaba, can you hear me? Damn it." She swore after putting her fingers against Elphaba's neck.

"What's wrong?"

"Her pulse is weak and thready. Elphaba." She raised her voice in the hopes of getting some kind of reaction.

"What's going on?" Ginny groggily sat up on the couch.

"She can't get Elphaba to wake up." Penny answered, knowing better than to try to keep the truth from the older woman.

"What?!" Ginny was instantly on her feet and headed for the bed.

"Wait a minute." Addena kept one hand on Elphaba's throat and stretched to touch Breena's with the other. "Now that's just weird."

"What?" Her mother looked at her anxiously.

"Their pulses are exactly the same."

Penny frowned. "Is that even possible?"

"It must be." Addena let go of both women and stood up to watch them more closely. "It looks like they're breathing at the same time too."

Penny concentrated, letting her eyes flick back and forth between the witches. "Sweet Lurline I think you're right."

Ginny swallowed hard. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Addena ran her hand through her hair. "It's like they're linked somehow."

"What if you pull their hands apart."

Addena frowned. "What?"

"Their hands." Her mother repeated herself as she pointed at the girls. "What would happen if you pulled them apart?"

"Let's find out." Addena leaned over Elphaba and tried to do as Ginny suggested. "I can't get them to budge."

"But they're both unconscious." Penny tried from beside Breena with the same results.

"What if you get a hold of Elphaba and Penny gets a hold of Breena?" Ginny threw out another idea.

"It's worth a try." Addena agreed. "Easy," she cautioned as they both took an arm and started to pull.

"Good..." The Wizard's voice trailed off as he walked into the room. "What are you doing?!"

"Trying to pull their hands apart." Ginny said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I can see that." The Wizard made a beeline for the bed. "The question is why are you doing it?"

"Because their heartbeats and breathing are exactly the same," Penny volunteered.

"They are?" The Wizard furrowed his brow. "How is that possible?"

"It has to be their magic." Addena shook her head, signaling Penny to let go of Breena. "Something like this happened before."

"It did?" Ginny was obviously shocked.

Addena nodded. "When they were fighting Morrible she managed to hurt them both at the same time. Whenever Breena touched Elphaba, her healing power would kick in. Even when she was unconscious. Yackle said it was their magic trying to make sure at least one of them was healthy enough to keep Morrible in line."

Penny stared down at the women. "Do you think that's what's happening this time?"

"It's not the same but it's the only thing I can think of." Addena reasoned. "Bree doesn't have her powers right now. And Elphaba's not healing per se. It's more like they're..." She tried to come up with the right word.

"Co existing." The Wizard offered. "Maybe their magic took some of Elphaba's strength to make sure Breena survived."

"That makes sense." Ginny nodded. "Her temperature has started to come down."

"It has?" The Wizard smiled when Addena nodded. "Thank goodness."

"Should I go get Maeve?" Penny asked. "Maybe she'd be able to tell us what's going on."

"No she wouldn't." Addena disagreed. "She's more of a magical advisor in training right now. The only one who might be able to explain this is Yackle and she's not here."

The Wizard looked at his daughters. "Then what do we do?"

"I guess we see what happens." Addena sighed when she felt everyone looking at her. "I don't like the idea any more than any of you, but what choice do we have? Their hands are practically welded together."

"Are they in any danger?" Ginny hated asking the question.

"I don't know." The doctor answered honestly. "Their pulses are a little on the weak side and their breathing is shallow but they're still with us."

The Wizard swallowed nervously. "So we wait?"

Addena nodded. "We wait."

* * *

"Wake up."

Glinda groaned as a foot nudged her leg.

"I said wake up!"

Her eyes snapped open when the nudge became more of a kick.

"There she is."

Her blood ran cold when she recognized Eadlyn's voice. She desperately tried to spot Mason but all she could see was her tormentor towering over her.

"Uh, uh, uh." He shook his finger at her. "No yelling for Mason. I'd hate to have to kill him for interrupting us." He fell to his knees next to her. "So keep your mouth shut."

"What..." She tried to keep the quiver out of her voice, not wanting him to know how scared she was. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" He put his right hand on one of her breasts, giving it a hard squeeze. "I'm going to break in my new sex toy."

"No!" She tried to sit up only to find herself shoved harshly back to the ground with a hand thrust over the lower half of her face.

"What did I just say about keeping your mouth shut?" Eadlyn glared down at her. "I was serious about Mason. No one gets between what's me and mine." He used his free hand to start unbuttoning the shirt she was wearing. "No one." He chuckled when she tried to struggle. "The more you move around the rougher I'm going to have to be."

Glinda closed her eyes against her tears, willing her mind to shut itself off from what was about to happen.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Mason's voice.

"None of your business," was Eadlyn's angry reply.

"You can't..."

"She's mine." Eadlyn spoke over him. "I can do whatever the hell I want."

"She's not yours." Mason contradicted him.

"Oh yeah?"

Glinda breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Eadlyn climb off of her but it was short lived when she opened her eyes to see him advancing on Mason.

"Yeah." Mason swallowed hard as the much more powerful man staggered toward him. "You're still drunk, Eadlyn. You don't know what you're doing."

"I know exactly what I'm doing." Eadlyn grinned. "Or should that be who I'm doing?"

"I..." Mason hated himself for stammering. "I can't let you hurt her."

"Let me?" Eadlyn laughed. "No one has ever 'let' me do anything. I've always done what I want when I want." He grabbed Mason by the throat. "And right now I want you to shut up so I can screw her in peace."

Glinda saw what little hope she still had fading as Mason struggled to breath. That's when a shaft of light coming into the cave reflected off of one of the bottles Eadlyn had emptied the night before. She quickly crawled toward it, being careful not to make any noise so she wouldn't draw his attention.

"Don't think I didn't see you being all chummy with her last night." Eadlyn practically spat the words in Mason's face. "Going over to have a nice little chat whenever I went to get more booze."

She kept her eyes on Eadlyn as her hand closed over the cool glass of the bottle.

"I was grieving for Gregor and you were eyeing my woman."

She climbed to her feet.

"I might have considered sharing her with you if you'd been patient. But not now."

She edged toward him.

"She's all mine. Do you understand?"

She raised the bottle as high as she could as she got closer.

"I said do you under..."

She swung it as hard, hitting him in the back of the head.

"What in the..." He turned to face her as the shock of the blow knocked the bottle from her hand. It feel to the ground but didn't break. "That hurt you bitch!"

Glinda's eyes got big as he dropped Mason and started for her.

"If you want it rough I'll give it to you rough!"

The sound of shattering glass filled the cave a split second before Eadlyn's eyes rolled back in his head. She had to back pedal to keep him from falling on her.

"Bastard." Mason croaked as he looked down at him.

"How..." Glinda was bewildered. "What..."

"I picked up the bottle when you dropped it." Mason's voice had a gruff quality to it as he used one of his hands to rub his neck.

Glinda stared at Eadlyn's prone form.

"Are you..." Mason tried to clear his throat. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Glinda switched her attention to him. "I'm fine." She repeated the words to convince herself just as much as him. "Are you?"

He nodded. "I'll live. I'm going to get some rope to tie him up." He reached down and picked up another empty bottle to hand to her. "Just in case he tries to wake up."

Glinda hefted the weapon, keeping a close eye on Eadlyn for any sign of movement until Mason reappeared with two pieces of rope.

"I can't believe I fell asleep." Mason chastised himself as he started tying Eadlyn's hands.

"It wasn't your..."

"I promised to keep him away from you." Mason interrupted her. "And look at what almost happened." He stopped making his knot long enough to gesture at her half open shirt.

"But nothing did." Glinda surprised herself when she said the words. Shouldn't she be falling apart right about now instead of feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted off her shoulders?

Mason shook his head as he finished with Eadlyn's hands and started on his feet. "That's not the point."

"Yes it is." She rebuttoned her shirt. "If you hadn't stopped him he would have..."

"Don't say it." He interrupted her again. "It makes me sick to even think about it." He clinched his jaw. "Not only did I let you down, you had to save the day."

"Me?"

"You're the one who cracked him with that bottle."

"For all the good it did me. You're the one who knocked him out."

"Maybe so, but only after you stunned him."

Glinda couldn't believe it when she grinned. "How about if we say we owe each other and drop it?"

"That sounds fair." Mason returned her grin. "I'm going to drag him to the back of the cave and gag him."

"Good idea." She agreed. "Do you want my help?"

"No." He was quick to reply. "You saved my life a few minutes ago. The least I can do is get him out of your sight."

"Thanks." Glinda watched him go, all doubt she had about the man gone. Even Eadlyn wouldn't take getting knocked out to toy with her. No, she could definitely trust Mason.

She sighed as she looked at the downpour outside. Now if the weather would just start cooperating maybe she could finally go home.


	31. Chapter 31

"Glinda? Glinda?!" She yelled as loud as she could, hoping for a response.

"Great. This is just perfect." Elphaba huffed as she took in the nothingness around her. "Not only am I here again. I'm here alone." She clinched her jaw. "Wherever here is."

"That's what I'd like to know."

She turned quickly when she heard the voice. "Glinda?"

"Let me know if you figure it out."

She just as quickly turned the other direction. "Glinda, is that you?"

Silence was her only answer.

"Glinda?!" She gave it one more try.

"Wonderful." She sighed. "Now I'm hearing things."

"No you're not."

She gave a startled yelp as instinct had her turning to see if there was someone behind her. "Breena?"

The short haired witch grinned. "In the flesh." She furrowed her brow. "At least it feels like I have flesh. But who knows around here?"

"Bree!" Elphaba wasted no time grabbing her in a bone crushing hug.

"It's nice to see you again too, Elly." Breena half chuckled until she realized her sister wasn't going to let go anytime soon. "Air." She gasped. "Air would be good."

"Don't you 'air would be good' me young lady."

"Young lady?" Breena quirked an eyebrow as Elphaba held her at arm's length. "Last time I checked we were still the same age, which means you can't call me things like kid or young lady."

"What did you think you were doing, running away from me like that?"

"Not in the mood for witty banter huh?" Breena sighed. "I didn't mean to make it seem like I was running away from you, Elly."

"You told me to leave you alone, jumped on a horse that wasn't yours might I add, and rode off. How was I supposed to take that?"

Breena opened her mouth to respond but didn't get the chance as Elphaba continued.

"I could understand you not wanting to talk to Addena after the bombshell she'd just dropped on you, but I'm your sister, Bree. You're supposed to be able to come to me for anything, not go off on your own and scare me half to death."

"I didn't mean to scare you." Breena gave her a sheepish look. "Does this mean you're not glad to see me?"

"Glad doesn't even begin to cover it." Elphaba pulled her into another hug.

"Ow. Has anyone every told you you're a lot stronger than you look?"

"Shut up and hug me back."

Breena grinned as she did as she was told. "I really didn't mean to scare you, Elly. I just needed some time to think and getting away from the house seemed like the best way to do it. Things just kind of snowballed from there."

"Kind of?" Elphaba pulled back to look at her. "You're hurt and Eadlyn has Glinda and all you can say is things 'kind of' snowballed?"

"Hey, it's not like I wanted to have a sword shoved in my leg. And... Wait a minute. That bastard has Glinda? Our Glinda?!"

Elphaba nodded.

"How in Oz did that happen?"

"It's a long story."

"Then do you think you could do something about this… whatever you want to call it around us before you get started? It's hard to concentrate when it looks like I'm suspended in midair."

"Me?" Elphaba frowned. "What am I supposed to do about it?"

"I don't know." Breena shrugged. "You're the one who brought me here."

"I did not."

"You most certainly did. I heard you calling for Glinda and thought I better come see what was going on. The next thing I know I'm in this…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to come up with the right word again.

"Nothing." Elphaba filled in the blank for her.

"Yeah." She agreed. "Nothing describes it pretty well."

"I know, but what makes you think I can do anything about it?"

"Like I said, this is your deal sis. Has it happened before?"

"Yes. With Glinda."

"So that's why you were yelling for her."

"But it was different." Elphaba tried to explain. "We barely had a chance to say two words to each other."

"What happened?"

"I got this horrible pain in my head and the next thing I knew I was waking up at Upland Manor."

"Interesting." Breena narrowed her eyes. "I've read about people who could pull others into their subconscious minds. People who have visions like you. I bet this is some kind of offshoot of your powers. And if that's the case, you should be able to control the scenery around us."

Elphaba frowned. "Do you really think so?"

Breena nodded. "You didn't know you were doing it so you didn't know to provide a backdrop, right?"

"I guess."

"It's not going to hurt anything to try. So close your eyes and think of somewhere quiet. Someplace you'd go to relax."

"But…"

"Just do it."

Elphaba complied, picturing the quietest place she could imagine for about half a second before sighing. "See, I knew it wouldn't..."

"The gardens at Colwen. Nice choice."

She opened her eyes, shocked to find they were indeed in the sprawling garden Colwen Grounds was infamous for. "It worked."

"You've got to start having faith in your powers sis." Breena teased her.

Elphaba still couldn't believe it. "I used to sneak out here whenever we came to visit Grandfather. There were so many places to hide no one would ever find me."

"I used it as a getaway when I was sick of everybody. It reminded me of the garden Mom and I had at our house."

"Bree." Elphaba took her sister's hand, knowing how hard it must have been for her to come here after Leandra's death.

"Well that's about enough reminiscing for now." Breena quickly changed the subject. "Let's have a seat and you can fill me in on how Eadlyn managed to get his hands on Glinda."

"I already told you it's a long story."

Breena looked at her over her shoulder as she led her to one of the benches littering the gardens. "You have someplace else to be right now?"

"Good point." Elphaba conceded. "I guess I'll start at the beginning then." She waited until Breena sat down next to her. "Right after you rode off Glinda told me what was really going on with Addena and Eadlyn." She gripped her sister's arm, realizing she had no idea what she was talking about. "There's nothing between them, Bree. He was..."

"Blackmailing Addy." Breena finished her thought for her. "Ginny, Mrs. Upland, told me all about it. Eadlyn took her as a bargaining chip and was holding her at the camp."

"I know. Addena told us about Eadlyn taking her and one of the guards told us she was at the camp. But I'm getting ahead of myself." Elphaba chastised herself. "Once I knew the truth we decided we had to tell you too. So Glinda and I took off on my broom to look for you. But it started storming so we found a little shack where we could wait it out. Just as we were getting ready to leave this wolf pup came running up to us."

"So he found you." Breena looked relieved. "I felt horrible for sending the little guy off on his own but I didn't know what else to do after he told me the trappers were attacking his group. Did the others..."

Elphaba nodded, answering her question before she could finish asking it. "They found us at the same time. I wanted to keep searching for you, especially after they told me you'd been captured, but I knew I couldn't leave Glinda and those kids out there alone to make their way back to Upland Manor."

"It's all right, Elly." Breena put her sister's shoulder. "You did the right thing."

"Did I? Maybe if I'd found you then you wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Stop beating yourself up over things you had no control over and finish telling me what happened."

Elphaba started to protest but stopped when her sister gave her a 'don't argue with me' look. "We took the Animals back to the house and I went to the palace to tell Father what happened."

"You did?"

"He needed to know you were missing. And no matter how much I wanted to find you I knew I couldn't search those woods alone."

"So you went for the cavalry." Breena nodded. "Let me guess, you used the mirror spell to take some of the guards back to Upland Manor with you so you could start the search right away." She pointed. "And I bet you wore yourself out and then argued with Glinda about resting before you starting looking for me again."

Elphaba was shocked. "How did you know that?"

"Because I know you." She smirked. "And I would have done the same thing."

"By the time I got up the next morning Dad was there." Elphaba continued. "He came with the rest of the guards who were going to help with the search. He and Fiyero found out what was going on and coerced Eadlyn into making good on his word to help look for you. Addena overheard him telling his friend, Gregor, to go to the camp and tell them he would be there as soon as he could get away. He tipped Addena off about having you by calling her Addy."

Breena growled, "I told him not to call her that."

"You're lucky he did. Otherwise we might never have found you. She went straight to Fiyero and Cade and they decided Cade would take a few men and follow Gregor to see if she was right."

"I was wondering how they found us."

"Glinda and I went with Fiyero and the rest of the search party to keep Eadlyn from suspecting that we knew anything. One of the guards who went with Cade came to let us know they'd found you and Mrs. Upland. We started to confront Eadlyn and then..."

Breena cocked her head when her sister hesitated. "What?"

"I..." Elphaba swallowed hard. "I had a vision."

"Of what?"

"While I was out of it Fiyero had Eadlyn arrested and sent most of our party off to help rescue you." She glossed over the question. "Eadlyn killed the four guards watching over him, shot Fiyero and kidnaped Glinda."

"What?!" Breena's mouth popped open. "He killed the guards?! Is Fiyero all right?!"

"He's fine. The bullet went through his side." Elphaba answered. "I chased them and almost had Glinda but Eadlyn got her again."

"How did he manage that?"

"He hit me in the head with a tree branch and knocked me out."

"He hit you? With a _tree branch_?!" Breena couldn't believe what she was hearing. "He killed four guards, shot Fiyero, bludgeoned you and still has Glinda?" She clinched her jaw. "What I wouldn't give to get my hands on him."

"You and me both." Elphaba sighed. "I came to at Upland Manor and found out what happened to you." She shook her head. "You're not doing so well Bree."

"Eh." Breena waved her concern away.

"No Bree, I'm serious. You have a really high fever and you were barely breathing. What happened?"

"Well, you already know about me taking on the trappers. At first I used magic but smacking them around felt so good that I started hitting them. Besides, I didn't want to take a chance on hurting any of the Animals. Penny, the Lioness who was with the kids, and I were holding our own until someone started shooting tranquilizer darts. I was still pretty out of it when some guy gave me a potion to bind my powers so I couldn't use them to escape."

Elphaba mumbled, "Or heal yourself when they stabbed you."

"That too." Breena let her know she'd heard her. "Eadlyn came to gloat about being with Addy so I punched him. That's when he decided to let his men have fun by putting me and some of the Animals through a gauntlet."

"A gauntlet?" Elphaba raised her eyebrows. "I thought Mrs. Upland was exaggerating when she mentioned that."

"I know, pretty archaic right?" Breena rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we knew the men would be too excited about the possibility of torturing people to pay much attention to anything else so we came up with a plan to sneak Ginny and all but a few of the Animals out of the camp. Unfortunately all hell broke loose first. I was trying to protect Ginny when a guy got in a lucky shot with a sword."

Elphaba flinched at the thought.

"Everything gets pretty choppy from there. I remember coming around a couple of times and being in pain but not much else."

"Bree, are you..." She didn't want to finish the question but she needed to know the answer. "Are you dying?"

"Of course not."

"Thank the unnamed God." Elphaba let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"At least I don't think so."

"You don't _think _so?"

"I didn't mean for that to sound so flip. It's just, I've never had an infection or fever like this before. I don't know what's going to happen. Until I heard you yelling for Glinda I was in some weird kind of limbo. Every once in a while I can hear snippets of conversations or feel someone holding my hand but I can't respond to them. It's pretty damned frustrating."

"I'm scared, Bree. What if you..." She couldn't bring herself to say the word again.

"I know I'm bad off right now Elly but are you giving up on me?"

Elphaba was too shaken by the possibility of losing her sister to really hear what she was saying.

"You are aren't you?" Breena ran her hand through her hair. "Is Addy giving up on me too?"

"What? No!" Elphaba was quick to reassure her. "Neither one of us is giving up on you."

"Then what's with being so morbid? This isn't any different than the jams we got ourselves into with Morrible. We got through those and we'll get through this." She narrowed her eyes when her sister didn't answer again. "There's something you're not telling me."

"No there's not."

"Yes there is. You've got that forlorn look in your eyes."

Elphaba wrinkled her nose. "Forlorn?"

"Don't change the subject."

"I didn't. You're the one who said I had forlorn eyes."

"Your vision." Breena snapped her fingers. "You never told me what you saw."

Elphaba looked away.

"That's it, isn't it? What did you see?"

"Nothing."

"How many times do you have to be told you're a bad liar before you believe it?"

"I didn't see anything."

"Elly."

"Even if I did see something, it's not going to come true so what's the point in talking about it?"

"Because it's obviously upsetting you." Breena waited a half beat for a response. "Was it about someone close to you?" She sighed when her sister remained silent. "Was it about me?"

Elphaba tensed.

"It was, wasn't it?" Breena swallowed hard. "Did I die? Is that why you won't tell me? Because you're afraid it will make it come true?"

"Just because I saw your funeral doesn't mean it's going to happen."

Breena's eyes got big. "You saw my funeral?" She was obviously blown away. "Wow. Maybe I am dying."

"No you're not!" Elphaba gripped her sister's hands. "I've seen other things in my visions and stopped them from coming true and I'm going to stop this too. I'm not going to lose you, Bree." Tears filled her eyes. "I can't."

Breena pulled her hands free to put her arms around her sister. "I'm sorry. That was a really bonehead thing for me to say. But it's not every day that your psychic sister tells you she saw your funeral."

"I'm not psychic. And I shouldn't have blurted it out like that."

"I didn't give you much of a choice."

"I meant what I said." Elphaba held her close. "I'm not letting you go, Bree." More tears streamed down her face. "I can't lose you and Glinda at the same time."

"Hey." Breena pushed back to look at her. "You haven't lost Glinda. And we both know I'm too damn stubborn to let something like this keep me down for too long." She used her thumbs to wipe away her sister's tears. "So stop worrying your pretty little head."

Elphaba sniffled. "My head is too egg shaped to be pretty."

"There's that sarcasm we all know and love." Breena grinned. "And your head is not egg shaped."

"I love you." Elphaba pulled her close again.

"I love you too." Breena let herself be held for a while. "Speaking of your head, I wonder how we're supposed to get out of here. Not that being with you isn't nice, but it's kind of creepy sitting in our dead grandfather's garden talking about…"

Elphaba pulled back to cover her sister's mouth with her hand. "No more saying any form of that word. We've already established that it's not going to happen. And the last time I just kind of woke up."

Breena mumbled something.

"What? Oh." Elphaba moved her hand. "Sorry."

"I said that doesn't really help us this time does it?"

"Not re…" Her voice trailed off mid word.

Breena looked at her, concerned. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know." Elphaba frowned. "I suddenly felt weird."

"Weird how?"

"I don't know." She sounded frustrated. "Just weird."

"Weird is a pretty broad word to us."

"I…" Elphaba started to gesture with her left hand, her eyes going wide when she noticed it was slowly fading away. "What in the name of…"

It was Breena's turn to frown. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe you're waking up."

Elphaba looked at her sister. "Then why aren't you fading?"

Breena shrugged. "Probably because I'm not waking up."

"But I can't leave you here."

Breena raised her eyebrows as most of her sister's left arm completely disappeared. "It doesn't look like you're going to have much of a choice."

Elphaba's heart sank. Her sister was right, unless… "What if I take you with me?"

"What?"

"I said what if I take you with me?"

"That was more of a what the hell are you talking about than an I didn't hear you." Breena looked at her like she was crazy. "You can't take me with you."

"Why not?"

"Why not she says?" Breena grumbled. "Because you just can't."

"Watch me." Elphaba grabbed her sister's arm with her right hand.

"Hey! Let go."

"No."

"Elly."

"I said no! What if I leave you here and I never get to see you again?"

"You're being ridiculous." Breena tried to pull free. "Now let go before you hurt yourself or something."

"I told you I'm not leaving you here."

"Elphaba!"

Instead of replying she closed her eyes, hoping she was strong enough to make this work.

_AN: Wow! We've hit the 200 review mark already. I want to thank everyone who's reading and reviewing. Especially those who have been in this with me for the long haul. You guys make my muse extremely happy! :)_


	32. Chapter 32

Glinda sat cross legged on the ground, leaning forward with her elbows propped against her knees and her chin planted firmly in her hands, staring out the entrance of the cave. Originally she came up here for some fresh air but being alone meant she started thinking. And the only thing she could think about these days was Elphie.

She closed her eyes, the words that had become like a mantra to her running through her mind… Everything is going to be fine.

"Just untie me so I can feed myself."

"No."

"Why not? You can hold the gun on me."

Ignoring the voices wasn't an option in a confined space like the cave.

"This is ridiculous. I don't need someone shoveling food into my mouth like I'm a two year old. I'm a grown man for Oz's sake!"

"Stop throwing a fit."

"I'm not throwing a fit, I'm stating my opinion. And maybe if you didn't keep that disgusting rag shoved halfway down my throat all the time I wouldn't be so anxious to hear the sound of my own voice."

But she could try to tune them out.

"A dog deserves better treatment than this. Oh wait, you feed me and give me water and keep that damnable rope leash around my neck when you take me out to pee. I AM a dog."

"That's rich, coming from someone like you."

"What's that supposed to mean? Like I'm beneath you or something? Well I've got news for you! I'm not!"

Which proved to be pretty hard sometimes.

"When I get out of here… and notice I said when, not if. _When_ I get out of here I'm going to kill you, Mason! And it's not going to be quick and painless either! I'm going to take great pleasure in ripping you limb from limb! And then I'll…"

But anything was possible if you really put some effort into it. All she had to do was picture Elphie in her mind's eye and the rest of the world melted away. It was a trick she'd learned to use back at Shiz before she even realized what she was feeling for the green girl. Everyone thought she was daydreaming about Fiyero in class when she was actually thinking of Elphie.

Of course the last time she'd seen Elphaba she was laying motionless on the ground, Eadlyn standing over her with that tree branch in his hand. So that's the image that filled her mind now. That and the sickening sound of wood on bone as Eadlyn hit Elphaba in the back of the head.

"Stop it." She whispered to herself. "Elphie is fine. It's the weather that's keeping her away. Just the weather."

One look outside proved that could be true. It had been storming non-stop for two days now.

Glinda frowned at the idea. Had it only been two days? It seemed like an eternity.

"Hey."

She looked up when she heard Mason's voice. "Hi."

"Can you believe that?" He nodded toward the pouring rain outside as he flopped down next to her. "It makes you wonder if someone's not messing with the weather."

That instantly brought thoughts of Morrible to mind, which she quickly pushed away. Morrible wasn't a weather witch anymore. She wasn't a witch anymore period thanks to Elphie and Bree.

"Sorry." Mason apologized. "I shouldn't have said that. Not after everything you went through with Madame Morrible."

Glinda gave him a sidelong glance. "You seem to know an awful lot about magic."

"He should. He studied it most of his life." Eadlyn chuckled. "Or so he says."

"His gag must have slipped." Mason scrambled to his feet.

"Ask him about the potion he gave your precious Breena."

Mason ran toward the back of the cave. "Shut up!"

"The one that bound her powers." Eadlyn spoke hurriedly as Mason rushed toward him. "Or about him about being at the camp where we were holding your moth…"

The rest of the word was lost as the gag was shoved forcefully back into Eadlyn's mouth but Glinda got the picture. Was he telling the truth? Had Mason given Breena a potion to bind her powers? Did he sit by and watch as they held her mother hostage?

"Glinda?"

She sprang to her feet when she heard his voice again. "Is he telling the truth?"

"I would love to take the easy way out and tell you he's a liar." Mason hung his head. "But I can't."

"So it's true?" Glinda's eyes were full of turmoil. "You were one of the men who kept my mother at the camp?"

He nodded.

"Did you know who she was?"

"No. A couple of the guys brought her in and Eadlyn told us to make her as comfortable as possible. She had her own tent and everything."

"Well that certainly makes it all better." Glinda's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I can't believe you gave Breena a potion to bind her powers either."

"I didn't know who she was when I gave it to her."

"And that makes a difference how?" Glinda looked at him in disbelief. "I might not know much about potion making but I know those are the most dangerous kind to mess with. What if you've bound her powers forever? What if she gets hurt because of what you've done?"

Mason started to say she had already been hurt but thought better of it. He was in enough trouble as it was.

"Obviously he was right about you studying magic or you wouldn't have known how to make the potion." She glared at him. "Are you a witch too?"

"No." He shook his head again. "My family only studies magic."

"Interesting hobby." Glinda clinched her jaw.

"Look, I'm sorry about your mother. I know it probably won't make a difference but I told Eadlyn to let her go. And as far as Breena's concerned all I saw was a chance to use a potion I'd never tried before. Once I realized who she was I started kicking myself."

"Good." Glinda growled.

"I even tried to talk her into letting me help her escape."

That comment caught the blonde off guard. "You did?"

Mason nodded. "I apologized for what I'd done to her and offered to get her safely out of the camp but she refused to leave without your mother and the Animals."

"That sounds like Bree." Glinda had a far away look in her eyes. "She and Elphie are always thinking of other people before themselves."

"By Elphie do you mean the..."

"Don't you dare call her the Witch or I won't be responsible for my actions."

"All right." He held his hands up in a 'don't hurt me' gesture. "So she and Breena are really sisters?"

Glinda shot him a dirty look. "Why? Do you want to bind Elphie's powers too?"

"No." He gruffed. "I already told you I wouldn't have done what I did if I'd known who Breena was. Do you honestly think I want the downfall of Oz on my shoulders?"

"Downfall of Oz?"

"They're meant to do great things, Glinda. More than anyone could ever imagine."

"Like what?"

"I can't tell you that."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Because then you might try to stop something from happening and that's not how it works." Mason tried to explain. "Their lives aren't going to be easy but they're going to be incredible."

"That sounds like a load of cryptic horseshit to me, Glinda." Eadlyn's voice sounded again. "Don't listen to him."

"Damn it!" Mason started toward the back of the cave.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Elphaba is dead and I'm willing to bet Breena is too. So Oz is doomed."

"Shut up." Mason grabbed a different rag to use as a gag, snagging a piece of rope to tie around Eadlyn's head to hold it in place while he was at it. "He's the one you shouldn't listen to, Glinda. I know I've done some bad things but don't I get points for being honest with you now?"

She turned away as he worked on Eadlyn. Every time she heard her beloved Elphie's name come out of that man's mouth it made her sick. And the fact that he kept insisting she was dead tore at her heart. After all, he was the one who actually stood over her. Who actually saw the damage he'd caused with the branch. What if he was right? What if Elphaba was...

No. She wasn't going to go down that road again. She couldn't afford to be the same emotional wreck she was when they first arrived at the cave. Not now that she knew what Mason was capable of. She was going to have to hold on to the belief that Eadlyn was wrong when it came to Elphie. Better yet, she would prove it.

Just as soon as the damned rain stopped falling.

* * *

The Wizard stared at his daughters, thinking about how unfair life could be. What right did he have to stand there, whole and healthy, while his daughters were in that bed, completely unresponsive and oblivious to anything going on around them? Parents weren't supposed to outlive their children. That's just not how it was meant to be.

He blinked back tears, mentally kicking himself as he turned away. What was he doing, thinking that way? His girls weren't going anywhere. Any minute now they were going to wake up and give him grief about being such a cry baby. Well, at least Breena would give him a good ribbing about his emotional state. Elphaba would just grip his hand and look at him with those bottomless brown eyes.

They were a constant source of amazement to him. So similar and yet so different all at the same time. They shared stunning looks, which they had to have gotten from their mothers, and incredible intellect. Not to mention their magic. But Breena was outgoing while Elphaba was borderline reclusive. Elphaba had a great sense of humor once she trusted you enough to show it while Breena wore her sarcasm and quick comebacks on her sleeve.

"Ugh."

He turned quickly when he heard the soft moan only to find Addena shifting on the couch. They were taking turns staying with Elphaba and Breena so they wouldn't be alone. Or should he say Addena was in the room all the time and someone else tried to be there too to keep her from exhausting herself. He had somehow convinced her to try to get some sleep, assuring her that he would wake her the minute there was any change.

Not that there ever was. There hadn't been for two days now.

"Stop that." He quietly chastised himself. "No more negative thoughts."

"Bree?"

The Wizard's heart leapt when he heard the voice, quickly turning back toward the bed. "Elphaba?"

The green woman was already well on her way to sitting up but she only had eyes for her sister. "Bree?" She gripped her by the shoulders. "Come on, Breena. Please." Tears filled her eyes as she drank in her sister's lax features.

"Elphaba?" He repeated her name as he hurried back over to the bed. "What's going on?"

"She's supposed to be waking up." Elphaba continued to stare at her sister.

The Wizard's joy at having his daughter back was quickly tempered by how odd she was acting. He almost turned to wake Addena so she could deal with it but remembered something the doctor had said about confusion being a side effect of a head injury. That's what it had to be. Elphaba was just confused. Maybe if he got her to lay back down everything would be all right.

"And she will." His tone was soothing as he reached for her. "Now why don't you…"

"No!" Elphaba shrugged his hand away when he tried to touch her. "You don't understand. I was just with her. It was supposed to work!"

Addena popped up on the couch. "What's going on?"

"Elphaba's awake." He was quick to answer. "But she's acting very strange."

"Come on, Bree." Elphaba didn't seem to notice either of them. "Just open your eyes for me."

"Elphaba?" Addena got off the couch and went to the bed.

"Don't you start too." Elphaba pointed at her as she appeared next to Breena. "I know what I'm talking about. She's supposed to be waking up, Addena." She moved one of her hands to brush her fingers across her sister's cheek. "Maybe she just needs another minute."

"And maybe you need to lie back down and let Addena take a look at you." The Wizard reached for her again.

"No!" Elphaba frowned.

"Could you keep it down?" Breena's eyes opened slowly. "Some of us are trying to sleep around here."

"Bree?" Addena said her name tentatively.

"Breena." The Wizard couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Bree!" Elphaba pulled her sister into her arms.

"Guess it worked, huh?" Breena questioned as Elphaba gently lowered her back down on her pillows. "Way to have faith in yourself sis."

Elphaba grinned. "I have to listen to you sometime, don't I?"

"Bree." Addena said her name again, her breath catching in her throat as those emerald eyes turned toward her.

"Hey doc."

"You're back." Addena cupped her cheek.

"But the question is does she plan on sticking around this time."

Breena grinned at the Wizard's comment. "Hi Dad."

"Hi yourself." He raised an eyebrow. "Now answer the question."

"Oh, she's sticking around all right." Elphaba answered for her. "I didn't pull her out of there for nothing."

The Wizard looked confused. "Pull her out of where?"

"Oblivion." Breena answered as she tried to sit up.

"Whoa!" Addena gripped her shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?"

Breena frowned at her reaction. "Getting more comfortable."

Addena shook her head. "I don't think so."

"But…"

"You've had a high fever for three days, Bree. It's come down quite a bit, but it's not gone."

"You mean I can't even…"

"No." Addena shook her head again. "Not until I've had a chance to examine you." She looked at Elphaba. "The same goes for you."

It was Elphaba's turn to frown. "But I feel fine."

"You've been unconscious for two days, Elphaba." The Wizard argued. "Do as she says."

"Two days?" Elphaba's frown deepened. "You're kidding, right?"

"No he's not." Addena pointed to the up until then unnoticed needle in the back of the green woman's hand, which was attached to a tube leading to a bag next to the bed. "We had you both hooked up to IVs to keep you hydrated and fed."

"Has there been any word on Glinda?"

Addena furrowed her brow at Breena's question. "How do you know about Glinda?"

"Elly told me."

The Wizard cocked his head. "When? You've been out of it since before Fiyero brought her here."

"I tried to tell you we were together before I woke up." Elphaba explained.

"She pulled me into her subconscious mind." Breena added.

"We don't know if that's what happened or not."

"Do you have a better explanation?"

Elphaba reluctantly said, "No."

"Then that's what we're going with." Breena returned her attention to their father. "We think it's a new aspect of her powers. Although I have to admit I didn't think you'd be able to bring me with you when you started waking up."

"So let me get this straight." Addena gestured with her hand. "You were both unconscious so Elphaba, you were able to pull Bree into your subconscious mind?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Then when you felt yourself waking up you decided to bring her with you?"

"She sure did." Breena answered.

"Well we think you're healing power used Elphaba to keep you alive so I guess that makes sense."

"What?" Breena scrunched her face.

"You were… let's just say you weren't doing so well." The Wizard spoke up, trying to help Addena out. "After Elphaba came to she insisted on coming in here to be with you. She fell asleep holding your hand. The next thing we know you're both comatose with the same heartbeat and respirations."

"Get out, really?" Breena grinned.

"I'm not sure if comatose is the right word to use but that's how it happened." Addena agreed. "And stop smiling. It wasn't the least bit funny."

"You saved my life, Elly." Breena ignored her girlfriend's command to stop grinning.

Elphaba took her sister's hand. "I told you I wasn't going to lose you. Besides, I still owed you one from when Boq stabbed me."

"Let's not go there," the Wizard warned.

"But if Breena drew off of my strength to get better, why am I healed?"

"You've essentially been resting for two days." Addena pointed out. "You're bound to feel better."

"I don't just feel better, I feel great." Elphaba probed the back of her head. "And the bump's gone."

Addena frowned. "That's not possible."

Elphaba leaned over her sister. "Here. Feel for yourself."

"I don't understand." Addena was still frowning as she finished her impromptu exam. "You should at least still have some tenderness and maybe even a headache."

"Not if Bree healed me."

"But she doesn't have her powers." The Wizard joined back in.

"Maybe I do thanks to the jump start from Elly." Breena shrugged. "There's only one way to tell." She put her hand on Addena's bruised cheek.

"What are you…" Addena's voice faltered when she felt a familiar tingling sensation. "Stop it." She physically pulled Breena's hand away when she saw a little of the color leak out of the witch's cheeks. "Stop!"

"My powers are back." Breena gave her a weak grin.

"You're going to think you're powers are back in a minute." Addena growled at her. "Damn it, Bree, you still have an infection. Even if you were one hundred percent I wouldn't want you trying something like that until we were sure you were all right. What if you made your fever go up again? What if…"

Breena grabbed the front of the doctor's dress, pulling her down for a kiss. She let her lips linger against Addena's for a moment before letting go of her again. "Has anyone ever told you you're beautiful when you're angry?"

Elphaba bit her lip to keep from chuckling at the expression on the doctor's face. "Now that that's settled, I need to start looking for Glinda."

"Oh no you don't." The Wizard grabbed her arm as she climbed off the bed. "You're not going anywhere until Addena has had a chance to examine you."

"But…"

"Don't argue with me young lady. I know you're worried about Glinda but you're not going to be any good to anyone if you go off half cocked and not completely healed. The last thing we need is someone carrying you through the front door again."

"He's right, Elphaba." Addena gave her a sympathetic look. "I really should look you over."

"Come on sis." Breena patted the bed next to her. "You can be stuck with me for a little while longer."

"I'm not stuck with you." Elphaba sighed as she sat back down on the bed.

"If it makes you feel better, Addy can check you out first."

That made the corner of the green woman's mouth turn up. "Gee, thanks."

Breena smiled. "Dad really told you, didn't he? I knew that 'young lady' comment earlier was going to come back to bite you in the butt."

Tears filled the Wizard's eyes as the sound of their banter filled the room. He had his girls back.


	33. Chapter 33

The change was amazing. More of a transformation really. Just a few short hours ago the house was like a tomb, a sense of misery permeating the air as everyone walked around on pins and needles, waiting to see what would happen next. It was almost like nothing good would ever happen again. Then Elphaba and Breena woke up. Things were still a little shaky at first, like one of them could be taken away again at any second. But as word of their regaining consciousness spread, so did the undercurrent of hope that now flowed through the place.

Addena couldn't afford to let herself get swept up in all the excitement. It was great that Elphaba and Bree were back with them, but they'd both been in some strange state of unconsciousness for two days. As much as she wanted to believe they were both going to be fine, the doctor in her told her she better be ready for the other shoe to drop.

Her examination of Elphaba proved the witches right though. She was completely healed without so much of a trace of the knot that should have been on the back of her head for at least another week. Elphaba took the news as permission to do as she pleased but Addena was quick to rein her in. She wanted Glinda back just as much as anyone else but she knew her sister would never forgive her if anything else happened to her precious Elphie. So she made the green woman promise to at least get something to eat before she starting brainstorming with Fiyero on ways to find Glinda. Siccing the Wizard on her was probably taking it a little too far but she didn't want him in the room while she was working on Bree's leg and she knew he would make sure Elphaba followed her orders.

"Ow."

Speaking of Bree. The barely audible sound pulled Addena out of her thoughts, making her look up at her patient, who had finally gotten her to agree to let her sit up. Breena's fever had come down even more but she still looked drawn and tired propped against a mountain of pillows. "Are you all right?"

"Peachy," was Bree's clipped reply.

"I could still give you..."

"No."

"But..."

"I said no, Addy."

Addena sighed. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

"Would whatever you're wanting to give me knock me out?"

"No." She lasted all of about a second under that green eyed stare before saying, "Maybe."

Breena quirked an eyebrow. "Addy?"

"Fine. It would make you sleep. But only for a couple of hours."

"Then no. I've been out of it enough lately."

"But..."

"Is this your way of trying to tell me you're sick of having me around already?" Breena spoke over the doctor when she tried to protest again.

"What? No!" Addena frowned. "How could you even imply something like that?"

"I was teasing." Breena gripped the doctor's hand when she ignored her. "Addy, why don't you tell me what's really going on here?"

"Bree!" She chastised her. "You can't grab my hand like that! I'm trying to stitch your leg."

"Is that what you're doing? I hadn't noticed."

"There's no need to be such a jerk."

"Jerk? How does wanting to know what's eating at you make me a jerk?"

"Because I'm trying to make even stitches so you won't have as much of a scar and you keep interrupting me."

"Once all of the infection is gone I won't have a scar anyway, so make whatever kind of stitches you want. Leave the damned thing open for all I care. It'll heal eventually."

Addena clinched her jaw. "That was a stupid thing to say."

Breena sighed. "I know it was."

"Then why did you say it?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe you should think a little more before you speak next time."

"Tell you what, I'll just shut up and then neither one of us will have to worry about it."

Addena felt guilty as Breena leaned back against the pillows and made good on her promise not to say anything else. What was wrong with her? She should have been glad, no make that overjoyed to have Bree back. Instead she kept trying to pick a fight with her. That's how she ended up so lost in thought before. And Bree, who had every right to be cranky considering she had been poked and prodded and now had someone shoving a needle and thread through her skin, wouldn't rise to the bait. She started to a couple of times but then she backed down.

Was the witch right? Was Addena tired of having her around already?

She gave herself a good swift mental kick in the pants. Of course she wasn't. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with the woman for crying out loud. Then what was it that was making her such a grump?

The wound a little voice in the back of her head piped up as she finished with the stitches and started bandaging Breena's leg. That's what was putting her in such a bad mood. She hadn't dealt with the knowledge that Breena had been hurt as a direct result of something she's done. True she hadn't asked to be engaged to Eadlyn or made Bree jump on the horse and ride away after she lied to keep her safe, but she still felt responsible. She could have told Bree about Eadlyn before they got the summons from her father. She also could have told her a modified version of the truth instead of making up that ridiculous story about Eadlyn being her childhood sweetheart. But she didn't and ended up hurting Bree.

And she was hurting her again right now. Yes her leg needed restitched to keep other bacteria or dirt from getting in the wound and causing a secondary infection but she could have given her something for the pain without letting her know what she doing. But did she? No. She was so glad to have Bree back that she started closing the wound and then got mad at the poor woman when she didn't want to let her give her the pain medicine she should have just given her in the first place.

"Hey."

She felt a hand grip her chin.

"You're crying."

Tears she didn't even know she was shedding started falling faster as she looked into Breena's concerned eyes.

"I'm sorry Addy. I didn't mean to make you cry."

"You..." She sniffled. "You didn't."

"Yes I did, by being a jerk." Breena disagreed. "You're the doctor here. I should have listened to what you had to say."

Addena took the hand holding her chin and held it in her own. "You can listen to me now."

Breena nodded. "Whatever you want to give me is fine. I'll..."

"Not about that." Addena interrupted her. "I..." More tears filled her eyes. "I'm the one who should be apologizing to you."

"For what?" Breena frowned. "Trying to take care of me?"

"No, for getting you into this whole mess in the first place. If I had told you about Eadlyn..."

"Addy..."

She put her finger over the lips she adored. "You're supposed to be listening to me." She paused for a beat, wanting to make sure Bree wasn't going to try to say more. "If I had told you about the whole arranged marriage fiasco in the first place, none of this would have happened. You wouldn't have come here wondering what the hell was going on with me and I wouldn't have had to make up that stupid story about him being a war hero. Instead I kept it from you under the guise of keeping you safe because I was afraid of what you would do. I..." Tears continued to slide down her face. "I was afraid I'd lose you." Her chest tightened with emotion.

"But you didn't."

"Yes I did." Addena disagreed. "You died in that camp Bree. Yes by some miracle I got you back but you were gone. And then infection set in and your temperature kept going up and I thought I was going to lose you for good."

Breena wiped at her tears. "I'm right here."

"I know." Addena cupped her cheek. "And I've thanked the Unnamed God too many times to count. But what I need to know is..." She swallowed hard, trying not to break down completely. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Forgive you?" Breena furrowed her brow. "There's nothing to forgive. What happened with Eadlyn wasn't your fault."

"But I hurt you, Bree. And don't say I didn't because I know I did."

"Yes, you did. But it's human nature to hurt the ones we love. And as soon as I got over the initial shock of finding out about Eadlyn you know I would have been right back here telling him he couldn't have you. I just never got the chance."

"I love you."

Breena pulled her into her arms as she started crying harder. "I love you too."

"I don't deserve you." She mumbled as she burrowed against her chest.

"Well that's too bad because you're stuck with me."

Addena half chuckle was muffled by the fabric of Breena's night shift. They held each other close for a few minutes before another voice broke their comfortable silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Breena looked up, a grin pulling at her mouth when she saw Ginny standing in the doorway. "Hey."

"I didn't mean to interrupt." The older woman started to back out of the room.

"You're not." Breena was quick to assure her. "We were just talking."

Ginny returned her grin. "Do you always make my daughter cry when you're just talking?"

"Mother!"

Breena laughed as she tightened her grip on the doctor to keep her from moving out of her arms. "She was just joking."

"I'm sorry dear." Ginny apologized. "I should have known you weren't in the mood."

"And I should have known you two would get along too well." Addena relaxed against the witch.

"Come on in." Breena moved one hand from Addena's back long enough to gesture at her.

"No." Ginny shook her head. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. And now that I have I can..."

"Breena?" Maeve came bustling into the room, taking the older woman with her. "Can you, oh!" She wasn't expecting to find the two women in an embrace.

Elphaba was right behind her. "Maeve, I told you not to..." Her voice trailed off when she saw her sister and Addena on the bed. "We, uh... We didn't mean to interrupt anything."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Breena shook her head. "It's not like we were having sex or something."

"Bree!" Addena smacked her on the side.

Breena grinned at the disgusted noise her love made. "What can I do for you two?"

"We were wondering if you could..."

"Nothing." Elphaba cut Maeve off. "Obviously you're busy. We'll come back later."

Maeve frowned. "But she can probably..."

"I said we would come back later." Elphaba spoke over her again.

"Fine." Maeve shrugged. "You were the one who was so gung ho to find the locator spell."

"Locator spell?" Breena asked.

Maeve nodded. "I remembered Aunt Yackle mentioning a spell that could pinpoint someone's location. Elphaba seemed to think she could use it to find Glinda. But she was rifling through the pages too fast to find it." She gestured with the ancient tome she had tucked under one arm. "So I thought maybe you could help her."

"Maeve." Elphaba hissed her name.

"What?" Maeve gave her a look. "She asked."

"We shouldn't be here.'" Elphaba insisted. "Now let's go."

"Wait." Breena stopped them from moving. "It couldn't hurt for me to take a look."

"No."

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

"I said no." Addena sat up to look at her. "No magic for you until you're completely healed."

"But..."

"You heard me." The doctor pointed at her. "I'm not going to let you wear yourself out, Bree."

"She's right." Elphaba agreed. "I'm sorry Addena. I told Maeve not to come up here but she's faster than she looks." She gripped the woman in question's arm. "Come on, Maeve."

"Sorry." Maeve apologized as Elphaba started to drag her out of the room.

"Just a minute." Breena spoke up again. "Looking in the Grimmerie isn't doing magic."

Addena frowned at her. "What?"

"Looking for a spell and actually casting it are two different things. Why can't I help Elly find what she's looking for in the book?"

"Because you're not in any condition to, that's why."

"I thought I was doing better."

"You are."

"Then why are you making it out that I'm so bad off I can't even turn pages in a book?"

"I wasn't." Addena sighed. "But you and I both know that if you find the spell you'll want to help Elphaba with it."

"It's a locator spell. Even Elphaba can handle one of those on her own." Maeve bit her lip as she looked at the green witch. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"No offense taken." Elphaba assured her. "And Bree, if Addena doesn't think you're up to helping then maybe you shouldn't."

"What if I promise to just look and not touch?" Breena kept her attention on Addena. "It's to help Elly find Glinda."

Addena pursed her lips. "No magic?"

"No magic." Breena used her finger to make an 'x' over her heart. "Cross my heart and hope to..."

"Don't go there." Addena warned her.

Elphaba said, "Don't!" at the same time.

And Ginny stated, "I've always hated that saying. I used to forbid the girls from using it."

Breena chuckled. "Would you like to add your two cents worth too, Maeve?"

"I think you got the point." Maeve grinned.

"So does this mean I can help Elly?" Breena gave Addena a hopeful look.

"I guess so." Addena reluctantly agreed.

"Bree." Elphaba shook her head. "I don't think you should."

Breena waved her sister's comment away. "You just don't know how to win an argument with an Upland. I'll give you lessons once we have Glinda back safe and sound. Now let me see the book, Maeve."

Maeve looked at Elphaba.

"You don't need her permission." Breena gestured for her to come over to the bed.

"I..." Maeve still hesitated.

"Go ahead." Elphaba told her. "She won't give up until you do."

Addena went back to bandaging her girlfriend's leg. She might have agreed to let Breena help but that didn't mean she couldn't keep an eye on her.

"Here you go then." Maeve sat beside her on the bed.

"Thanks." Breena suddenly winced. "Ow. Addy."

Addena was too busy frowning at Maeve for being so close to Bree to realize how tight she was making the bandage. "Sorry." She quickly started to redo it.

"It's all right." Breena gave her an understanding smirk as she put the finishing touches on the bandage. "Why don't you go get something to eat with your mom?"

"I can't."

"Of course you can." Breena disagreed. "I know you haven't been out of this room today. And I can only imagine how much time you spent here while Elly and I were off in lala land."

Addena furrowed her brow. "But..."

"It's all right, Addena." Elphaba joined in. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Great, my own private babysitter." Breena grinned at her sister.

"I think it's a good idea, dear." Ginny jumped on the band wagon.

"See, even your mother wants you to go." Breena took the doctor's hand. "You've got to take care of yourself, Addy. I know you haven't been lately."

Addena met her gaze. "I've been busy."

"Which is why you need a break." Breena's tone was gentle. "You can go and come right back. We'll have found the spell by then and you and I can finish the discussion we were having."

"Alone?" Addena asked.

"Completely alone." Breena let go of her hand to cup her cheek. "Now go with your mom. And bring something good back for me. I'm starving."

Addena grinned as she leaned in to give her a kiss, not caring who saw them. She touched her forehead to Breena's once they parted. "I love you."

"Love you too."

Ginny was all smiles. "Aren't they absolutely adorable together?"

"And that's your cue to leave before she starts gushing." Breena gave Addena another quick peck on the lips.

"I'll see you soon."

"And I'll kick everyone out when you get back." Breena gave her a pat on the butt as she stood to join her mother.

Addena blushed. "Bree."

"Come on, sweetie." Ginny steered her toward the door before she could change her mind. "And you behave yourself." She gave Breena a look over her shoulder.

"Yes ma'am." Breena waited until they were out of the room to take the Grimmerie from Maeve. "Now let's see what we can find."


	34. Chapter 34

The muffled sound of coughing filled the cave.

At first Glinda kept her attention outside, like it might quit raining for the split second it would take her to look away only to start again once she turned back around. But then the coughing took on a gagging quality and she couldn't stop herself from casting a quick glance to the back of the cave. What she saw when she did instantly concerned her.

Eadlyn was laying on his side, the coughing only getting worse as he struggled to breathe. He looked like a fish out of water as his body jerked. And it might have been a trick of the limited light but she could have sworn he was turning blue.

What if he quit breathing? Yes he'd done horrible things and terrorized her family but that didn't mean she wanted him to die. If he did the authorities might try to accuse her and Mason of murder for not doing something to help him.

But even the prospect of being thrown in Southstairs couldn't make her go to his rescue. She just didn't have it in her. Not after the way he attacked her.

"I'll get him a drink of water."

She nodded in lieu of actually replying as Mason started toward their downed captive. She was grateful to him for stepping in but that didn't mean she wasn't still leery of his actions. He seemed like a nice enough guy but did nice guys give people potions to bind their powers or hold women hostage without knowing why?

She watched as Mason took Eadlyn by the shoulders, dragging him to a nearby supply crate to prop him up before removing the rope holding the gag in place.

The coughing got harsher as Eadlyn spit the rag out of his mouth. He somehow managed a raspy, "Thanks," as Mason reached for a waterskin.

"Don't thank me." Mason growled. "Glinda was the one having a moral dilemma. I would just as soon let you hack yourself to death."

Eadlyn eagerly sucked down some water before saying, "Spoken like a true man."

"Shut up." Mason shoved the waterskin in his face again.

"What happened to us, Mason?" Eadlyn gave him a beseeching look after pulling away from another drink. "We used to be friends."

Mason scoffed. "We were never friends."

"Could have fooled me."

"Don't pretend there was ever anything between us."

"Pretend?" Eadlyn looked shocked. "Was it pretend when we would laugh together? When we would sit up late at night around the camp fire and swap stories or tell each other our greatest desires?"

"That never happened."

"It happened all the time."

"Then you must be getting me confused with Gregor because I never sat around a camp fire with you."

Eadlyn frowned. "Don't talk about him."

"Why not? You weren't the only one who knew him."

"He didn't mean anything to you."

"Like he did to you?" Mason chuckled as he recapped the waterskin. "You're just upset because he won't be around to play your lapdog anymore. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll find yourself some nice new friends in Southstairs."

"You make me sick, do you know that? Walking around this cave like you've never done anything wrong. Well I know better." He glanced toward Glinda, a smirk tugging at his lips when he saw her look away quickly. "I could tell her a thing or two."

"Go ahead." Mason shrugged. "I don't have anything to hide."

"Oh really? What about that time you gave that group of school girls one of your sleeping potions so the guys could have their way with them?"

"That was Gregor too. He stole the potion out of my things. And if you remember correctly, he slipped it into the wrong mugs and it was 'the guys' as you put it who fell asleep. The school girls had their way with them by drawing all over them with permanent marker. Gregor had that cute little black mustache for almost a week."

Glinda had to bite her lip to keep from giggling at the image of the huge man with a marker mustache.

"OK, how about the time you convinced the guys to make that father Mountain Lion fight his wife to keep his cubs safe?"

"That was you." Mason sighed. "I really wish you'd get your stories straight."

"And I wish you would stop deluding yourself into thinking you stand a chance with Glinda."

Mason frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm not stupid, Mason." Eadlyn shook his head. "Not that I can blame you. I mean, just look at her." He gestured toward the blonde. "Who wouldn't want to get a piece at that?"

"You're a pig."

"Maybe so, but you seem to be forgetting something." He leaned forward like he was telling Mason a secret. "She's into girls. Remember? I killed her green freak of a lover."

Mason clinched his jaw when he heard Glinda gasp. "You better hope you're right."

Eadlyn frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I know I wouldn't want the woman everyone called the Wicked Witch of the West mad at me. That's all I'm saying."

"Yeah, well..."

"Shut up." Mason shoved the gag back in his mouth.

Eadlyn mumbled something.

"What was that?" Mason cupped his hand against his ear. "I couldn't quite hear you." He chuckled when Eadlyn growled. "Be a good boy and I won't use the rope to hold that gag in place anymore."

Glinda pretended to be interested in something on the ground as Mason stood again.

"And just for the record, I think it would take more of a man than you to get rid of Elphaba." He gave Glinda a grin as she looked at him with grateful eyes. He held her gaze for a moment before returning to where he had been sitting against the cave wall.

Glinda went back to watching the rain, more confused than ever about how she should feel toward Mason.

Neither one of them noticed the smile that spread across Eadlyn's face as he started rubbing the rope around his wrists against a nail sticking out of the side of the crate he was still leaning against.

* * *

Elphaba's eyes were closed, hand poised over the pages of the book open next to Grimmerie. "Qua peto aliquis." The words were barely audible as she chanted them. "Qua peto aliquis."

"Is it working?" Maeve whispered.

"We won't know until she's done." Breena never took her eyes off her sister.

"When..."

"Shh." Breena shushed her.

Maeve gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry."

"Qua peto... Oh!" Elphaba's eyes snapped open as her index finger plopped down on one of the pages.

"Is that it?" Maeve looked back and forth between them. "Is the she done?"

"It looks like it." Breena leaned over the book the best she could without moving her injured leg. "And according to the key on this map Glinda is in..." She peered at the page more closely. "A system of caves."

"Then at least she's out of the elements." Maeve swallowed hard as they both looked at her. "Sorry again. I have a tendency to say whatever pops into my head."

"So we noticed." Breena teased her.

"Do you think that's where she is?" Elphaba looked down at her finger, which was still on the page.

"Yes I do."

"At least it's a place to start." Maeve mentally kicked herself. "Not that she's not there. I just meant that it's more than we had to go on before. Not that Cade and the others haven't found anything yet."

"Why don't you go get Fiyero for us?" Breena spoke up before she could stick her foot any further in her mouth.

Maeve furrowed her brow. "Fiyero?"

"We can show him the map so he can send some men to see if Glinda's there."

"Oh." Maeve nodded. "Good idea."

"Yeah." Breena's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I thought so."

Her reaction was lost on the other woman as she started out of the room. "I'll be right back with Fiyero."

Elphaba continued to stare at the book. "I can't believe I might have found her."

"There's no 'might' about it. Remember what I told you about having faith in your powers?" Breena bumped her sister's arm with her own. "And aren't you glad my nerdy girlfriend had a book of maps in her room?"

"It did come in handy."

"So does this little drawing she made of Upland Manor." Breena pointed at the page. "From the looks of this those caves aren't very far from the house. It shouldn't take the guards long to get there."

"I should be the one going to look for her."

"There's no way in Oz you're going out on your broom in this weather. But maybe you can go with the guards when they leave."

Elphaba perked up at the prospect. "Do you think Fiyero will let me?"

Breena raised an eyebrow. "Since when is Fiyero the boss of you?"

That got her a half grin.

"Besides, I think it's Dad you'll have to worry about more than anyone."

Elphaba's grin faded. "We really put him through the ringer didn't we?"

"Yes, but that's what daughters are for." Breena cursed her sense of humor as Elphaba finally moved her finger and got up to start pacing the length of the room. "I'm sure we didn't give him too many more gray hairs."

"It's not that." Elphaba glanced toward the door. "What's taking them so long?"

"It's only been a few minutes." Breena tried to reassure her. "Why don't you come sit back down and try to relax?"

_Rock walls._

She cocked her head when she saw the blank expression on her sister's face. "Elly?"

_Glinda sitting on the ground, staring out at the rain._

"Elly?" Breena tried again.

_Eadlyn not far away, bound at the hands and feet._

"Hey." Breena chucked a pillow at her.

_Another man going toward Eadlyn with a plate of food in his hand._

"Great." She growled as her sister didn't acknowledge the projectile bouncing off her arm. "Your visions sure do have sucky timing."

_Eadlyn waiting until the man started to bend down toward him to spring into action, the rope on his wrists falling away as he punched the man in the stomach._

"Snap out of it Elly."

_The rope at his ankles fell away too as he climbed to his feet next to the doubled over man. He instantly reached for a nearby bottle, viciously smashed it over the man's head._

Breena frowned as Elphaba's right hand curled into a fist. "Someone's pissing you off, aren't they?"

_Eadlyn smiled as he turned toward an obviously stunned Glinda._

"Maeve?" She called out as her sister's breath became ragged but no one answered. "Perfect."

_Glinda's blue eyes went wide with terror as Eadlyn got close enough to grab her wrist. She tried to pull free but he jerked her toward him instead, using the back of his other hand to caress her cheek._

"Come on, Elly." Breena sighed when she didn't get a response and started to scoot herself off of the bed.

_Glinda spit in his face._

She winced, her leg protesting the movement. Not that a little pain was going to stop her from getting to her sister.

_Eadlyn backhanded her, knocking her to the ground._

Breena knew her leg wouldn't hold her weight so she used the bed to help her maneuver toward her goal. "Elly?"

_Glinda tried to crawl away only to be grabbed by the arm and dragged back to her feet._

"Damn it, Elphaba, answer me." Her frustration grew as she slowly made her way toward the catatonic woman.

_He backhanded her again, sending her flying into the cave wall._

Breena stopped once she reached the end of the bed and took in the good six feet that still separated her from her sister. "This should be interesting."

"_Get up." He barely gave her a chance to hit the ground before he was reaching for her again._

She somehow managed to keep her balance as she took an unsteady step toward Elphaba, her brow creasing in pain. "Addy's gonna kill me."

_Eadlyn stopped just short of touching her when he saw her sightless eyes staring at nothing, blood pouring from a jagged wound on her left temple._

"Elly?" Breena's heart skipped a beat when tears started streaming down her sister's cheeks. "Elly?!" Somehow she closed the gap between them, grabbing her sister's arm.

"No!" Elphaba took a swing at her.

"Whoa!" Instinct had Breena ducking the blow but her leg couldn't take the pressure of trying to hold her up and buckled, spilling her to the floor.

"Glinda?" Elphaba wildly looked around the room. "Glinda?!"

"She's not here, Elly."

She looked around again, trying to find the source of the voice. Her brow settled into a frown when she saw her sister on the ground. "What are you doing down there?"

"Picking flowers." Breena dead panned. "I was trying to get to you." She didn't bother to try to get up, knowing it would never happen. "What did you see?"

"I... It..." Fresh tears made their way down Elphaba's cheeks. "He's going to kill her, Bree."

"What?!"

"Eadlyn." Elphaba clarified as she put her hands under her sister's arms and helped her to stand before starting toward the bed. "I saw him..." Her voice quivered. "He slapped her and she cracked her head and..." She started to shake as Breena lowered herself onto the foot of the bed. "He killed her. That bastard killed my Glinda!"

"Shh." Breena pulled her sister down next to her, taking her in her arms. "It was just a vision, Elly."

"But..."

"You can change what you see, remember?"

Another shudder passed through her at the thought of being at her sister's funeral.

"It's going to be all right, Elly." Breena held her close. "We won't let him lay a finger on her."

"But how can we stop him? What if Fiyero and the guards don't get to the cave in time? What if..."

"No more what ifs." Breena interrupted her. "We're going to take matters into our own hands."

"How?"

"Was Glinda in a cave when Eadlyn... When you saw what you saw?"

Elphaba nodded.

"Then we're going to use magic to send you there."

"What?" She pulled back to look at her sister.

"The transportation spell. If we combine our powers we should be able to..."

"No." Elphaba shook her head.

Breena frowned. "What do you mean 'no?'"

"The same thing no always means. You're not strong enough to be casting spells, Bree."

"Says who?"

"Addena." Elphaba put her hand on her sister's brow. "And the fact that you still have a fever. I appreciate the thought Bree, but it's not going to happen. I'll have to come up with another way."

Breena sighed. "Like what?"

"I'm not sure." Elphaba tried to swallow another round of tears. "But I can't let him hurt her."

"And you think I can?"

"Of course not."

"Then let me help."

"No."

"Damn it, Elly you have to. Don't you now I'd do anything for Glinda? She's not just your girlfriend. She's one of the best friend's I've ever had. Not to mention the sister of the woman I love."

"I know, but I can't risk you to get to her, Bree." Elphaba sniffled. "I just got you back."

"And I'll still be here when you bring her home." Breena gripped her sister's hand. "Don't make me feel completely useless, Elly."

"Useless?"

"What would you call it? It's not like I could go with you and the guards if you left right now. I can't even walk for Ozma's sake!"

"Bree..."

"But I can help you get to Glinda." Breena looked into her sister's eyes. "It's the only way, Elly."

Elphaba clinched her jaw.

"You know I'm right."

"Fine." She finally relented. "We'll use the transportation spell. But I'm warning you, if you end up unconscious again, I'll be forced to come find you and kick your ass."

Breena grinned. "Duly noted." She held her sister's gaze. "Do you need to go get your broom?"

"No." Elphaba shook her head. "I don't know how much time Glinda has. If we're going to do this, let's do it."

"All right." Breena tightened her grip on her sister's hand. "But you better be careful or I might have to do some ass kicking off my own."

Elphaba threw her arms around her. "Thank you, Bree."

"Let's just hope this works." Breena pulled out of the embrace. "Close your eyes and concentrate on the cave. Better yet..." She reached for the book of maps. "Put your finger on it."

"Do you think that will help?" Elphaba did as she was told.

"I have no idea, but it certainly can't hurt. Now close your eyes and concentrate and we'll do this on three, all right?"

The green witch nodded.

"One. Two."

"I love you Bree."

"I love you too Elly." Breena continued her countdown. "Three."

Their voices mixed on the word, "Extorque."

Maeve chose that moment to come back into the room. "Fiyero said he'd be here in just a..." Her mouth fell open as Elphaba disappeared. "What in Oz are you two doing?!"

Breena's eyes rolled back in her head as she slumped over on the bed.

"Oh!" Maeve hurried over to her. "Breena?" She patted her on the cheek. "Can you hear me?" She sighed. "Of course not, you're out cold."

Her head snapped around when she heard voices approaching the door. "Oh shit."


	35. Chapter 35

"Her favorite thing to eat is Oznut spread and Munchkinberry jam sandwiches?" Ginny chuckled. "Cook must have had a fit."

"He did." Addena agreed. "He kept muttering about how he's a chef and only has Oznut spread because they use it as a treat for the dogs and then he grumbled something about Munchkinberry jam being the secret ingredient in his barbecue sauce before he finally broke down and made the sandwiches instead of trying to get me to take her some of the stew he made for the guards."

"So that's what makes his barbecue sauce so good."

"Apparently so."

"Breena doesn't like stew?"

"She and Elphaba don't eat meat."

Ginny nodded. "I should have known that. Most Animal activists don't."

"Actually Betak said she hasn't touched it since she was a kid."

"Betak?"

"Sorry, I forgot you've never met her." Addena apologized. "She's a Munchkin who's known Bree her whole life. She took care of her when her mother died."

Ginny gasped. "Breena's mother is dead?"

Addena nodded. "She died on Bree's thirteenth birthday."

"How awful."

"And Elphaba's died when she was little more than a baby."

"Those poor girls." Ginny's heart broke for both of them. "I'll just have to see what I can do about mothering them."

Addena grinned. "They'll never know what hit them."

Ginny looped her arm through her daughter's. "That's the idea."

"Hello ladies." Fiyero smiled as he met them at the bottom of the stairs. "Going my way?"

"Master Fiyero, it's a pleasure to see you again." Ginny returned his smile.

"Please, it's just Fiyero."

"Is there any news on Glinda?" Addena asked.

"You mean besides the fact that Fae used a spell to find her?"

"They found the spell?" Ginny was intrigued.

"Apparently so. Maeve came to tell me they cast a spell and..."

"They?" Addena quirked an eyebrow. "As in Elphaba and Bree both?"

"I guess." He shrugged. "She didn't specify who..."

"Damn it!" Addena started up the stairs. "I told Bree no magic."

"Oh, uh..." Fiyero realized his mistake as he followed her.

Ginny was hot on their heels. "Maybe Maeve meant they both found the spell but only Elphaba cast it."

"I doubt it." Addena scoffed.

"I do have some good news." Fiyero interjected. "Just before Maeve came to find me a rider came in from Cade's group. Apparently they found the horse Eadlyn was riding not far from some caves near here. And Maeve said the spell..."

Ginny widened her eyes at him to stop him from mentioning magic.

"Uh, I mean Fae told Maeve she thinks Glinda is in a cave. So maybe we finally have a good lead as to where she is."

"I hope so." Ginny's voice conveyed the fact that she wanted her youngest home safe and sound.

"Me too." Addena agreed. "And not just for Glinda's..." Her voice trailed off as she stepped into the doorway of her room to find Maeve leaning over Breena, who was sprawled on the foot of the bed. "Sake." She finished her thought as she hurried toward them. "What the hell happened?"

"I..." Maeve quickly moved out of her way. "I'm really not sure. I came back up here from getting Fiyero in time to see Elphaba disappear and her pass out."

"Fae disappeared?" Fiyero's face was a mask of disbelief.

Maeve nodded. "Into thin air. I've never seen anything like it."

"Bree?" Addena's heart was pounding too loud in her ears for her to be pay any attention to what they were saying as she tried to get a response out of her love. "Damn it Breena, open your eyes!"

"I don't think that's going to work." Maeve flinched at the look the doctor gave her. "I mean, I tried tapping her on the cheek and nothing happened."

"It sounds like they used a spell." Ginny tried to intervene.

"Of course they used a spell because I told her not magic." Addena switched her attention back to Maeve again. "I told you no magic."

"She didn't do any magic while I was in the room." The woman defended herself. "She and Elphaba found the locator spell. I was about to go try to find a map of the area when I noticed a book of maps on the bookshelf. Elphaba cast the spell and I went to tell Fiyero where she thought Glinda was."

"Did they discuss any other spells while you were in the room?" Ginny tried to help out again.

"No. And the Grimmerie is still open to the page with the locator spell on it." She pointed at the book.

"Which means they must not have used another spell out of the book to make Elphaba disappear." Fiyero thought out loud. "I've never seen them use any spells that make them disappear."

"What about the mirror spell?" Maeve queried.

"No." Addena shook her head as she moved Breena's limp form back up onto her pillows. "That only works if there are mirrors at both ends of their trip."

Fiyero threw his hands in the air. "Then what other spell could they have used?"

"It's hard to tell." Addena checked the witch's pulse. "They're always coming up with something new. Not that it really matters. It's not like any of us are going to be able to follow Elphaba."

"True." Ginny agreed. "How is she?"

"Unconscious," was her daughter's drab response.

"Why don't we leave them alone so Addena can examine Breena?" Ginny shepherded Fiyero and Maeve toward the door.

"I'm sorry Addena." Maeve sighed. "If I had known..."

"It's not your fault." Addena cut her off.

"I'll let you know if we hear anything else from Cade." Fiyero said, not waiting for a response before escorting Maeve the rest of the way out of the room.

Ginny made her way over to where Addena was sitting on the edge of the bed next to Breena. "Do you want me to send Penny up to help?"

"No." Addena shook her head. "I just want to be alone with her."

"All right." She placed a kiss on top of her daughter's head. "I'm sure she'll be fine."

"I hope so." Addena stared at Breena as her mother started out of the room. "Mom?"

Ginny stopped with her hand on the door knob. "Yes dear?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Take good care of your girl."

"I will." She waited until she heard the door close to speak again. "I hope you know how much trouble you're in, Bree. I told you no magic for a reason." She blinked back tears. "Now prove my mother right and be OK so I can kick your ass."

* * *

Mason looked up from the sandwiches he was making, his eyes instantly going to Glinda. She was in her favorite place on the floor, just far enough inside the entrance of the cave that she wouldn't get wet. At first he wondered how she could sit and stare at the rain all the time but then he realized that wasn't her only reason for choosing that particular spot. It was also the furthest she could get away from him and Eadlyn without physically leaving the cave.

He caught the look Eadlyn was giving him and sighed. "Stop staring at me."

Eadlyn smirked.

"And keep your opinion to yourself." He groused as he picked up a plate and started toward Glinda. He made sure to make noise as he approached, not wanting to startle her. "It's not much but it's something."

Glinda glanced at the plate as he offered it to her. "No thank you."

"But..."

"I'm not hungry."

"That's what you said when I tried to give you breakfast."

"I wasn't hungry then either."

Mason hated seeing her so despondent. "Look, I can only imagine how hard this waiting around is for you but you need to eat. How else will you keep up your strength so we can get out of here when the weather breaks?"

"I'll be fine."

He sighed. "Glinda..."

She still didn't look at him. "I appreciate your concern but I'm still not hungry."

"How about if I leave it here for you?"

She shrugged but didn't answer.

Mason stayed where he was for a moment, wishing there was more he could do for her but knowing there wasn't. Eventually he went back to the supply area, rolling his eyes when he saw that Eadlyn was still smirking. "Wipe that stupid smile off your face."

Eadlyn mumbled something around his gag.

"What was that?" Mason grabbed another plate and started toward him.

Eadlyn waited until he was almost to him to move, the rope around his wrists falling away as he punched him in the stomach. He smiled as he pulled the gag from his mouth. "I said to make me."

Mason was too busy gasping for breath to say anything.

"What's the matter?" Eadlyn taunted him as he stood, the rope around his ankles loose enough to slide away as he uncrossed his legs. "Cat got your tongue?"

Glinda turned when she heard the commotion, her eyes going wide when she saw Eadlyn was free. "Mason?"

"Sorry." Eadlyn climbed to his feet. "He's a little busy right now." He wasted no time grabbing a nearby bottle and smashing it over Mason's head. "No wait, make that unconscious." He laughed.

Glinda scrambled to her feet.

"Don't get up on my account." Eadlyn spoke as he walked toward her. "We're just going to be on the ground again in a second."

"No we're not."

He grinned at the quiver in her voice. "Oh but we will. I still need to break you in before we get to Winkie Country."

Glinda tried to back away from him, gasping in surprise when she realized he was close enough to grab her wrist.

"Not so fast." He smiled as she tried to get away.

"Let go of me."

"Sorry, not going to happen." He pulled her to him, running the back of his free hand down her cheek. "Do you have any idea how crazy you're driving me in these clothes?" He moved his hand to pluck at the shirt she was wearing. "They're too baggy."

"Stop it!" She continued to try to break free.

"We'll have to go shopping once we get home." He leaned in to whisper in her ear. "Get you something a little sexier." He licked her cheek. "Something to show off those wonderful curves of yours."

Glinda spit in his face.

"You bitch!" He backhanded her, letting her fall to the ground as he wiped the offending liquid from his cheek. "You're going to pay for that!"

* * *

"Extorque."

The word rang through Elphaba's senses as everything around her disappeared. When nothing else snapped into focus she started to think she was back in the oblivion that had plagued her lately. But taking a half step back proved she was wrong when her shoulder brushed against a rock wall.

A cave. She had to be in a cave. But obviously not the same one as Glinda because there was no sound around her. And the cave in her vision had an outside view.

Didn't Bree say something about there being a system of caves? Did that mean they were connected or separate or...

She told herself to stop wasting time and started feeling her way along the wall she had brushed up against, moving as quickly as she dared. The last thing she needed to do was trip over something or, worse yet, crack her head and knock herself out. She had to get Glinda.

She fumbled her way through one opening only to find herself in more darkness. A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. What if she was going the wrong direction? What if she got lost? What if she wandered around in the dark until it was too late? What if something happened to Glinda because she got the locator spell wrong?

"Stop it Elphaba." She chastised herself. "What did Bree tell you about having faith in your powers?"

She pushed thoughts of her sister away. She couldn't worry about her and concentrate on getting to Glinda at the same time. It divided her attention too much. She was just going to have to find her lover and then the two of them could go back to the manor and check on Breena together.

A shocked yelp erupted from her lips as she took a step only to have her foot meet with nothing. She tried to keep her balance but her body betrayed her, throwing her forward into the void.

The world fell away as she hurtled through darkness for what seemed like an eternity before finally crashing into the unforgiving ground.

The air rushed from her lungs on impact, forcing her to roll onto her back in an effort to breathe.

"Don't get up on my account."

Even in her stunned state her body jerked in surprise when she heard the voice.

"We're just going to be on the ground again in a second."

Her brow furrowed. She should know that voice from somewhere.

"No we're not."

She definitely knew that voice. In her mind she said, "Glinda?" but all that came out of her mouth was a wheeze.

"Oh but we will. I still have to break you in before we get to Winkie Country."

Eadlyn. Her heart sank when she heard his words. She tried to push herself up but her muscles wouldn't cooperate.

"Not so fast."

"Let go of me."

The thought of him having his hands on the woman she loved was more than enough motivation to get her moving.

"Sorry, not going to happen. Do you have any idea how crazy you've been driving me in these clothes? They're too baggy."

She made it to her knees, pushing away the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm her.

"Stop it!"

The panic in Glinda's voice had her stumbling to her feet.

"We'll have to go shopping when we get home. Get you something a little sexier."

Her blood boiled as she stepped from the shadows to see Eadlyn licking Glinda's cheek.

"Something to show off those wonderful curves of yours."

The blonde spit in his face before she could say anything.

"You bitch!"

Elphaba flinched as he backhanded Glinda, knocking her to the ground.

Eadlyn was too busy wiping the spit from his face to notice the green woman. "You're going to pay for that!"

"I don't think so. Agito!" She tried to put a little extra something in the spell but was still too wobbly to do much more than knock him on his butt.

"What the..." Eadlyn grinned when he saw her. "Come to save the day huh? Well the more the merrier I always say."

Elphaba put herself between him and her downed lover. "You're not going to lay another finger on her."

"We'll just see about that." His grin became a full fledged smile as he climbed to his feet.


	36. Chapter 36

She had no idea what possessed her to do it. She'd never even thought about spitting on someone before. Come to think of it, she couldn't remember ever spitting at all. There were certain things proper young ladies didn't do and spitting pretty much topped the list. It was vile and vulgar and better left to those who didn't know better.

But there was something about Eadlyn. Something that made the proper young lady fly right out the window. Something that told her spitting in his face would show him just how much she despised him.

Of course she regretted it the minute his hand slammed into her face, knocking her off her feet. Pain erupted through her senses, making her ears ring to the point that his "You're going to pay for that!" barely registered.

"I don't think so."

She closed her eyes, telling herself now was hardly the time for one of the fantasies she'd been having about Elphaba. Her lover wasn't going to come to her rescue. She just needed to accept that and find some way to defend herself before Eadlyn laid a hand on her again.

"Agito!"

Her heart skipped a beat when Eadlyn fell on his backside. That had never happened before.

"What the..."

Eadlyn's grin made her skin crawl.

"Come to save the day huh? Well the more the merrier I always say."

And then it happened... Elphaba stepped in front of her. A very real, very alive Elphaba.

"You're not going to lay another finger on her."

"We'll see about that."

"Elphie?" Glinda finally found her voice as she started to get up.

Elphaba risked a glance at her lover, relieved to see her moving around, before returning her attention to Eadlyn. "I wouldn't come any closer if I were you."

"Why not? Are you going to knock me on my ass again?"

"Maybe."

"Oh." Eadlyn raised his hands in a 'don't hurt me' gesture. "Now I'm scared."

"Elphie!" Glinda latched onto her lover, ignoring the brute before them as she pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "Oh Elphie!" Tears of joy ran down her cheeks. "I thought..." She swallowed, trying to get her emotions under control. "I thought he..." She pressed herself against the other woman again, wanting to be as close as she possibly could. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"She should have been dead." Eadlyn growled. "But this makes it more interesting, doesn't it? Now we can fight to see who gets the fair maiden." He eyed Glinda appreciatively. "To the victor goes the spoils."

Elphaba put a protective arm around the blonde, wanting nothing more than to hold her close but knowing she needed to keep an eye on Eadlyn. "I already told you you're never going to touch her again."

"I'll do more than touch her." He smiled. "She's going to know what it's like to be with a real man when I get done with her. Maybe I'll let you watch once before I kill you. That way you can learn something."

"Shut up!" Glinda yelled at him.

"I can't blame you and that sister of yours for falling for her and Addy. Who knew Upland women were so fiery?"

Elphaba glared at him. "You were told not to call Addena that."

"Yes I was." There was that annoyingly cocky smile again. "By your sister."

Glinda furrowed her brow when she felt the green woman tense. "Elphie?"

"What's her name again? Oh yes..." He paused for dramatic effect. "Breena."

"Don't say her name." Elphaba spoke through clinched teeth.

"Poor little Breena." Eadlyn continued as if she hadn't spoken at all. "So heart broken over my engagement to Addy. I could have her brought up on charges for stealing one of my horses." He met Elphaba's gaze. "That is if she made it out of the camp alive."

Glinda's blood ran cold at the idea of anything happening to Bree. And from the way Elphaba was reacting to Eadlyn's taunting, something obviously had.

"You know, I have to say, I wasn't overly impressed with her. For being a witch and all she was pretty easy to handle."

"You bound her powers!" Elphaba spat.

Eadlyn chuckled. "That was her excuse. But what's yours?" He gestured with his hand. "I mean, you've been here for how long now and all you've managed to do is knock me down and talk my ear off. I guess you girls aren't as powerful as everyone seems to think."

Elphaba managed a dark, "I'll show you power," before saying, "Conicio!"

Under different circumstances the look of utter shock on Eadlyn's face as he flew across the cave and slammed into the far wall might have been funny. And it wasn't like he didn't deserve to feel a little pain after everything he'd done. But Glinda knew Elphie better than anyone and that spell wasn't meant to just hurt him.

"Elphie?" She tightened her grip on her lover as she started toward him again.

The sound of her voice seemed to bring Elphaba back to herself. She looked down at the blonde with concerned brown eyes. "Are you all right?" She did a quick inspection of the blonde. "Did he hurt you?"

"No." Glinda was quick to reassure her. She had never seen the woman quite so angry before.

Elphaba took in what she was wearing. "What happened to your clothes?" Her expression hardened again. "Did he..."

"No!" Glinda cut her off before she could finish, keeping the fact that he had tried to herself. "We got caught in the storms and my clothes were soaked. Mason gave me these to change into."

"Mason?" Elphaba looked around suspiciously.

"He's not a threat. He's been helping me." She was looked to where he'd been laying, shocked to see he wasn't there.

"What?" Elphaba reacted to her expression. "What's wrong?"

"He's gone." She pointed to where he had been just a minute ago. "But I don't see how. Eadlyn cracked him over the head with a bottle."

"Maybe he had a harder head than you gave him credit for and I probably scared him away when I made my appearance."

"It was pretty impressive." Glinda looked up at her. "Elphie! You're bleeding!"

Elphaba winced as her dainty hand made contact with a cut over her left eye. "I'm fine."

"You're bleeding." Glinda repeated, trying to get a closer look. "What happened?"

"I took a little spill." Elphaba gently caressed her bruised cheek. "Does it hurt?"

Glinda leaned into her hand. "Not now that you're here."

"You two are sickening." Eadlyn groused as he climbed to his feet.

"And you're a bastard. Vexo!" Elphaba gestured with her hand, knocking him into the wall again.

"Elphie..."

"Agito!" She barely gave him a chance to bounce off the wall before slamming him into it again. "I was a little out of it before. Let me show you how powerful I really am. Conicio!"

Glinda said, "Elphie stop!" at the same time, hitting the hand she was using to cast so the spell didn't hit Eadlyn full force.

Elphaba frowned. "What are you doing?"

"I know hurting him seems like the thing to do right now, but it's not." Glinda tried to reason with her.

"Yeah Elphaba." Eadlyn half groaned as he somehow managed to stand up.

Glinda glared at him. "You stay out of this."

"But I'm the one..."

"She told you to shut up!" Elphaba threw him back into the wall without saying anything.

"Elphie, please!"

"He deserves everything he gets for what he's done."

"I agree that he deserves to be punished but... Elphie." She put her hands on her lover's cheeks, dragging her gaze away from a groaning Eadlyn. "Killing him isn't going to solve anything." She moved one hand to run it through raven locks. "Please don't do something you'll regret later."

"I wouldn't regret it." Elphaba snarled.

"Yes you would, sweetie." Glinda contradicted her. "Don't you remember how riddled with guilt Breena was after she killed that lieutenant?"

"Breena killed a man?" Eadlyn half chuckled as he rolled onto his back. "I didn't think she had it in her."

"I told you not to talk about my sister!"

"Elphie!" Glinda put herself between the woman she loved and Eadlyn before she could do anything else to him.

"Move Glinda."

She shook her head. "No."

"Move!"

"I can't do that!" Glinda yelled back at her. "I won't stand here and watch you kill him! Elphie, please." Her blue eyes filled with tears. "Stop." She pleaded with her. "For me."

"Nobody move!"

They both jumped as a new voice rang through the cave. Elphaba instinctively pushed Glinda behind her as a group of men came running in from outside.

"I'm placing you all under arrest in the name of the Wizard!"

"Cade?" Glinda peeked around Elphaba.

"Elphaba. Glinda." The captain visibly relaxed when he saw the two of them. "Thank Oz you're both safe." He tensed again when he saw Glinda's appearance and the blood on Elphaba's brow. "You are safe?"

"I'm the one you should be worried about." Eadlyn spoke up from his place on the ground. "I want the Witch arrested for attacking me."

"I'll..." Elphaba started to say something but bit her tongue when Glinda gave her hand a squeeze. "Leave him to you now that you're here."

"Secure him." Cade gestured for a several of them to go to Eadlyn before returning his attention to the girls. "Are you two all right?"

"We're fine." Glinda assured him as she put her arms around Elphaba again, the tension draining from her body when she felt her lover returning the embrace.

"I'm sorry Glinda." Elphaba buried her cheek in blonde curls. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Glinda sighed contentedly. "You can make it up to me later."

Cade felt like he was intruding on a private moment as he watched them. "You're sure you're both all right?"

"Like I said, she's the one who attacked me." Eadlyn complained as he was dragged to his feet. He tried to pull free once he was on his feet but the guards wouldn't let go. "What are you doing?"

"Arresting you." Cade answered.

"For what?" Eadlyn frowned.

"You're kidding right?" Glinda looked at him in disbelief.

"What have I done?" He pushed the issue.

"I think the question should be what haven't you done?" Elphaba's voice didn't have its angry edge anymore.

"Doesn't anyone remember what I did the last time you tried to arrest me?" Eadlyn grinned at Glinda. "I know you do."

Glinda pulled Elphie closer. "Shut your mouth."

"I would take her advise." Cade warned him.

"And if I don't?" Eadlyn challenged.

"Let me make something perfectly clear." Cade spoke as he walked over to him. "I might not have been there when you massacred my men and shot Fiyero, but I'm here now." He put himself toe to toe with the man. "And it's not going to happen again."

Eadlyn looked down at the shorter man. "Are you supposed to be intimidating?"

"You want intimidating?" Cade doubled his right hand into a fist. "Try this on for size." With that he delivered a perfect upper cut to Eadlyn's jaw.

For his part Eadlyn didn't make a sound as his eyes rolled back in his head and he sagged into the grip of the guards holding him.

Another guard stepped up next to Cade. "What would you like for us to do with him sir?"

"Put him in the arm and leg irons we brought and throw him over one of the extra horses." Cade ordered. "And don't worry about making him comfortable."

The corner of the man's mouth turned up as he nodded. "You heard the captain." He spoke to the other guards. "Let's get moving."

Glinda grinned as Cade made his way over to them, moving so that she stood next to Elphaba with one arm around the woman's waist and one of Elphie's arms around her shoulders. "Very nice."

"I don't usually lose my temper like that but he really got under my skin."

"He had that effect on a lot of people." Elphaba commented.

"It is so good to see the two of you together again." Cade gave a half shake of his head. "You both had us pretty worried." He noticed the look Elphaba gave him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to speak out of turn."

"About what?" Glinda looked between the two of them. "What's he talking about Elphie?"

"Everyone at the house was understandably worried about you when you were kidnapped." Elphaba tried to make it sound like the most obvious thing in the world.

"But he said we both had them worried." Glinda wasn't about to give up. "Elphie?"

"I..." Elphaba tried to come up with a quick explanation but just didn't have the energy. "Let's just say that tree branch and I didn't get along very well and leave it at that."

"Let's not." Glinda disagreed. "How badly was she hurt Cade?"

"Oh, uh..." The captain wasn't expecting the question.

"I was unconscious for a little while, Glinda, that's all."

"That's all?" Glinda's voice dripped with disbelief.

Elphaba tightened her grip on the blonde. "I'm fine now."

"That's not the point." Glinda blinked back tears. "You needed me and I wasn't there. You were hurt and I wasn't there to take care of you." She buried her head against a green shoulder.

"You were scared and alone. You needed me too and I wasn't here."

"Because you were hurt." Her voice was muffled. "He kept saying you were dead."

"Well he was wrong." Elphaba rubbed her back. "And I'm here now."

"Speaking of which, how did you get here?" Cade asked, trying to change the subject. "We were on our way back to the house for dry clothes when one of the men noticed Eadlyn's horse milling around outside." He shrugged. "It made sense to check out the caves."

"Yackle must have known something was going on because she sent Maeve with the Grimmerie."

"She did?" Glinda pulled back to look at her.

"Yes." Elphaba nodded. "And I'm glad she did. Bree and I used a locator spell to find you."

Glinda breathed a sigh of relief. "So Bree is OK?" Her heart sank when Elphaba didn't answer right away. "Elphie?"

"I'm not sure." Elphaba's voice was barely audible. "She was hurt at the camp. The wound got infected and she had a really high fever."

Glinda gripped her arm. "But she can't heal sicknesses."

"I know." Elphaba swallowed hard. "She was doing a lot better when we found the locator spell."

"Thank Oz." Cade blanched when he realized he's spoken out loud. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"If she's doing better why are you so upset?" Glinda asked her lover.

"Because I had a vision of Eadlyn hurting you." Elphaba hung her head. "Right after I cast the locator spell. He was... You were..." Tears filled her eyes. "I had to get to you."

"What happened?" Glinda moved her head until she met the brown eyes she adored. "Elphie, what happened?"

"Bree suggested we use the transportation spell we learned from Yackle just before we left Munchkinland. But she was still weak and feverish and Addena told her no magic so I told her no too. But she kept saying it was the only way and I really had to get to you so I..." Elphaba clinched her jaw. "I let her help me cast the spell to get here and I don't know what it did to her." A tear made it's way down her cheek. "What if it brought her fever back? What if..." Her breath caught in her throat. "What if I lose her?"

Glinda pulled her into a hug. "You're not going to lose her. She's probably at the house right now, wondering what's going on with us."

"I hope you're right." Elphaba sniffled.

"There's only one way to find out." Cade spoke up again. "The house isn't far from here. Even with the rain we could be there in under an hour."

"Really?" Glinda was amazed she had been so close to home all along.

Cade nodded. "So if you're willing to get a little wet we can be there soon."

"We're willing. Right Elphie?" Glinda rubbed her lover's back.

Elphaba answered by nodding.

"Oh, I almost forgot. There was someone else here with us." Glinda looked at Cade. "His name is Mason, but he was trying to help me get away from Eadlyn."

Cade nodded. "I'll leave some men to search the caves. If he's here, we'll find him." He raised a hand before she could say anything. "And I'll leave orders that he's not to be harmed in any way."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Just give me a second and we'll be on our way." Cade walked over to his men.

"Everything's going to be all right, Elphie." Glinda hugged her again. "Breena is going to be fine."

Elphaba held her close, glad to have her in her arms again. But she couldn't help but wonder what price her sister might have paid for her to get her lover back.


	37. Chapter 37

"Don't."

"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh." Addena sat on the edge of the bed, making shushing noises as she ran a cool cloth over Breena's brow.

"Stop."

"It's all right baby." She combed the fingers of her free hand through the witch's short hair, wondering why that particular term of endearment slipped out every time she was trying to soothe her girlfriend.

"Addy?"

"That's right," her heart tripped with hope when she heard her name. "It's me, Bree. Open your..."

"No!"

Addena jumped at the intensity of her voice, reminding herself that Bree wasn't yelling at her. The poor thing had been caught in some kind of nightmare for nearly half an hour now. She didn't know if it was caused by the remnants of Bree's fever or the magic she'd done. Not that it really mattered. All she wanted was for her to wake up. Was that asking too much?

OK, so that wasn't completely true. Of course she wanted Bree to wake up, but she also wanted Glinda and Elphaba to make it home safely. She needed her family to be whole again. Because no matter how many times someone told her that what was happening wasn't her fault, she couldn't help but feel responsible.

It was her engagement that brought Eadlyn into their lives in the first place. Without him they would have been in the Emerald City right now. She and Glinda could hit the stores while Bree and Elphaba took part in the Animal talks during the day. Then at night they could enjoy spending time together as couples.

Instead Eadlyn had her little sister, Elphaba disappeared into thin air and Bree was unconscious again. Were their lives ever going to go back to normal?

"Addy?"

She held her breath, not wanting to get her hopes up again.

"Addy?" Breena repeated her name as her eyes slowly opened.

"That's it." Addena leaned in closer, encouraging her. "Wake up, Bree."

Breena blinked a couple of times before she suddenly grabbed the doctor. "Addy!"

The move threw Addena off balance. She fell against the other woman's chest, caught in a vice like grip. "Bree?"

"He had you." Breena was breathing heavily.

"What?"

"He had you." She squeezed the blonde even harder, as if she would slip away if she didn't. "He had you and he wouldn't let you go."

Addena struggled to breathe. "Who had me?"

"Eadlyn."

Her heart sank.

"He took you and I couldn't get to you. I thought..." Breena's voice was choked with emotion. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"I'm right here." She managed to move her arms so she could hug the witch. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"Swear?"

"I swear." Addena assured her. "Can you calm down for me?" She grinned when she felt her nod. "That's my girl."

Breena's breathing started to even out as her grip loosened.

"Hey." Addena pulled back to look at her, afraid she might have passed out again. Relief shot through her system when she saw emerald eyes looking back at her. "I didn't say to let go."

"I was hurting you."

"No you weren't." She used the cloth in her hand to wipe beads of sweat from Breena's brow. "I think you're fever is trying to break."

"It's about damn time."

The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "You can say that again."

"It's about damn time." Breena grinned as she started to sit up.

Addena instantly pushed her back down. "What do you think you're doing?"

She gestured toward the bedside table. "Getting some water."

"All you have to do is ask." Addena clucked.

"I can get it."

"So can I miss I just woke up and shouldn't be pushing myself yet." The doctor put the cloth back in the basin and proceeded to pour her a drink. "Here."

"Is it all right if I sit up now?"

Addena frowned. "You're not funny."

Breena gingerly propped herself up on one elbow to accept the glass Addena was offering but the doctor wouldn't look at her. "Thanks." She sighed when she didn't get a response. "OK, how much trouble am I in?"

"If you're asking that question I think you already know."

"Addy…"

"Don't even try it." Addena huffed as she climbed off the bed.

"Try what? I didn't say anything but your name."

"You were going to say something along the lines that you had to help Elphaba."

"I did."

"How could making yourself weak as a kitten again help your sister?"

"Hey, kittens can be pretty ferocious. Just look at Lion and Penny. They started out as kittens." She thought about it for a second. "OK, technically they were cubs but that's just a bigger version of a kitten." She opened her mouth to say more but stopped when saw the glare Addena was sending her way. "You're not in the mood for jokes are you?"

"No." Addena confirmed. "But I am in the mood to yell at you." She started pacing away from the bed. "Exactly what part of 'no magic' didn't you understand?"

"I…"

"Did you think I just said it to be a nag?"

"No, I…"

"Because I didn't." Addena interrupted her again. "Damn it Bree, you've been sick. You need to be resting and taking care of yourself, not healing scratches on people's cheeks and performing parlor tricks."

"Parlor tricks?" Breena sounded indignant.

"That's all unnecessary magic is. Frivolous and irresponsible and… and…" She struggled for the right word. "Stupid."

"Stupid?!" Breena echoed the word. "Since when is trying to help save someone's life stupid or frivolous or irresponsible?!"

Addena scoffed. "Whose life were you helping to save?"

"Glinda's!"

The revelation made the doctor stop midstep. "What?"

"Elly had a vision!" Her reaction was lost on Breena. "She saw Eadlyn killing Glinda and had to get to her so I helped her the only way I knew how!" She suddenly realized what she was saying. "I shouldn't have told you like that." She mumbled, "I shouldn't have told you at all," to herself.

"He..." Addena swallowed hard. "He killed..."

"In the vision he did, but we both know Elly sees what she sees so she can stop it from happening. I mean, she saw my funeral too but that isn't going to happen."

Tears started streaming down Addena's face.

"That didn't help did it?" Breena mentally kicked herself as she put the untouched water back on the bedside table.

"I can't lose her." Addena shook her head. "She's my little sister."

"You're not going to lose her."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know Elly and she loves Glinda too much to let anything happen to her." Breena hated seeing the lost look on Addena's face. "Come here."

Addena sniffled, still too shocked to really hear what she'd said. "What?"

"I said come here." She gestured with her hands when the doctor didn't move. "You can be mad at me later."

Addena didn't have to be told a third time. She was back on the bed lying next to Breena with her head on the witch's chest in a second.

"I'm sorry Addy." Breena held her in her arms, rubbing her back. "I shouldn't have blurted it out that way."

"I shouldn't have called you stupid."

"I shouldn't have promised I wouldn't do magic."

"I shouldn't have left the room."

Breena chuckled. "We make quite a pair don't we?"

Addena answered by cuddling closer.

They laid there in comfortable silence, relishing the feel of being together again.

"I owe you."

"Own me?" Addena furrowed her brow.

"No, I said I owe you, not own you."

"For what?"

"Bringing me back." Breena felt the blonde tense. "I'm not trying to upset you again. I just... I would have said it sooner but I haven't exactly been with it." She paused. "So thank you for saving my life, Addy."

"It only seemed right considering you saved mine." She tried to change the subject.

Breena gave her a gentle squeeze. "I know this isn't something you want to talk about but it needed said. So just tell me I'm welcome and I'll drop the subject."

Addena played with the shoulder hem of Breena's shift. "That's just it, I don't want you to thank me." Another tear made it's way down her cheek. "I want you to promise me you'll never die on me again."

"You know I can't do that." Breena hated the words as they left her mouth but she knew they were true. "No one can control when they die. When it's your time, it's your time."

"But I don't think I could make it without you." Addena protested. "It might sound crazy, but I want to be with you for the rest of my life, Bree. I love you."

"It doesn't sound crazy at all. I love you too and fully intend to spend the rest of my life showing you that I do. But I can't control how long we have together."

They fell into another silence, Addena listening to the steady beat of her love's heart as Breena ran a comforting hand up and down the doctor's back.

"I could hear you."

Addena was confused by her words. "When?"

"At the camp. When I..."

"Don't!" She pulled back far enough to be able to put her hand over the witch's mouth. "Please. I know you're right when you say we can't control that sort of thing but..." She shook her head. "Just don't, all right?"

"OK." Breena quickly agreed. "I don't know why I said it in the first place."

Addena instantly felt guilty. Just a few minutes ago she was begging Bree to come back to her and now that she had her she was telling her to shut up. And it was obvious that Bree had something she wanted to say or she wouldn't have mentioned it in the first place. "Could you really hear me?"

"I thought you didn't want me to talk about it."

"I changed my mind."

"You're confusing sometimes, did you know that?" The corner of Breena's mouth turned up to let her know she was teasing. "And yes, I could hear you."

Addena used her right arm to brace herself against the bed so she could stare down at Breena. "What did I say?"

"You told your mother that I wanted to be with you. That no matter how many times you pushed me away or acted like you didn't feel the same way I didn't stop trying. I didn't give up on you and you weren't about to give up on me."

She tried to blink back more tears. "I couldn't."

"I know." Breena reached up to cup her cheek. "That's why I couldn't leave you. It would have been so easy," she remembered the sweet oblivion she'd been a part of. "But I wanted to be with you."

"So you came back."

"I came back." Breena nodded. "You were fighting for me so I decided to fight for us."

Addena ran her fingers over the fading bruise under Bree's right eye. "You like to fight, don't you?"

"If something's important enough to you, you're supposed to fight for it."

"Does that mean I'm important to you?"

"Only the most important thing in the world." Breena pulled her down for a kiss.

Addena let herself get lost in the sensation of those lips against her own. "I owe you a thank you too," she spoke once they parted.

"You do?"

She nodded. "For saving my mother's life." She continued before the woman could protest. "I was there, Bree. I saw what you did."

Breena half shrugged. "I couldn't let them hurt her. She's my friend. And your mother."

"That's why I'm saying thank you."

"How about if you show me rather than tell me?"

Addena grinned as she leaned in for another kiss.

What started out as a simple lip lock soon escalated into a full blown make out session as both women gave in to the need to be with the other. They didn't part again until Breena tried to roll Addena onto her back and cried out.

"Are you all right?" Addena looked at her anxiously.

"Stupid leg." Breena's brow creased in pain as she laid back against her pillows.

"Let me make sure you didn't..."

She stopped Addena from pulling away from her. "It's fine."

"But..."

"I just moved the wrong way, that's all." Breena assured her. "I really know how to put a damper on a good time, don't I?"

"We can still have a good time." Addena ran her hand suggestively over one of Bree's breasts. "We'll just have to make sure you don't move that way again."

Breena closed her eyes as Addy switched her attention to her other breast. "You're the doctor."

"That's right." Addena started trailing tiny kisses up her neck. "Take two of these and call me in the morning." She crushed their lips together.

"I'm going to need more than two doc." Breena returned the favor.

Hot, fervent kisses reigned as they groped and fondled, occasionally coming up for air. It wasn't until Breena started to unzip Addena's dress that she finally pulled away.

"We can't."

Breena frowned. "What?"

"I don't believe I'm saying this, but we can't, Bree."

"Why not?"

"Because you're still recovering. And we both agreed we want our first time to be special." Addena ran the back of her hand down Breena's cheek. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I caused you to have a relapse."

"You won't."

"Bree."

"Fine." Breena sighed at the chastising she was getting. "Will you at least lay here with me?"

"Of course." Addena settled against Bree, sighing contentedly. "I love your chest."

"I love yours too."

Addena laughed. "I meant I like laying with my head on your chest you pervert."

Breena ran her hand up the doctor's arm, letting it come to rest on her blonde curls. "Can't blame a girl for trying."

"I guess not." Addena snuggled against her.

"I love you, Addy."

"I love you too Bree." She wrinkled her nose when she noticed something she hadn't a moment ago. "You're soaked."

"That's what happens when you get me all hot and bothered."

"I'm serious." Addena sat up to look at her again. Her face split into a radiant smile when she put her hand against a now cool brow. "You're fever is gone."

Breena couldn't stop herself from returning the smile. "Like I said before, it's about damn time." Her smile faded as Addena got off the bed. "Where are you going?"

"To get you something else to put on. You can't sleep in that wet thing."

"Who says I'm going to sleep?"

"Me."

"But I want to be awake when Elly and Glinda show up."

Addena made her way over to her dresser. "Tell me you're not tired and I'll think about letting you stay up."

"I'm not..." Breena's body betrayed her as a yawn erupted from her mouth. "Damn it."

The doctor was grinning as she came back over to the bed with a fresh nightgown in her hands. "You're fever might be gone but you're still going to be weak for a few days."

"That sucks."

"Which means you're just going to have to let me take care of you."

"Oh." Breena raised her eyebrows. "Suddenly weak doesn't sound so bad."

"Come on." Addena chuckled. "It will be easier to get you out of that and clean you up a little if you're standing up."

"That's what I'm talking about." Breena eagerly sat up.

"Take it easy." Addena cautioned her.

Breena swung her legs over the side of the bed, determined not to wince as she moved the right one. "I'm fi..." The word stuck in her throat as she tried to stand and the room started spinning.

Addena was quick to steady her. "Maybe we should rethink this."

"No, I'm good." Breena said before she could sit her back down.

"You're sure?"

"As long as this doesn't take all day." She started unbuttoning the shift.

"If you say so." Addena didn't sound convinced as she watched her undress, staying close in case the woman needed her again. She tried not to gasp when Breena let the material fall away from her shoulders and pool on the ground. There were a still a few bruises on her stomach and arms and she'd dropped weight thanks to the fever, but Bree was still the most beautiful woman she'd ever seen.

"Like what you see?" Breena smirked as her words drew the doctor out of her thoughts.

"I'm not going to answer that." Addena tried not to stare even more as she quickly wiped the woman down with the cloth she'd been using on her forehead a little while before.

"Why? Afraid you'll want to get naked too?"

Her only response was to slip the new nightgown over the witch's head. "There." She pulled Breena into her arms. "And keep in mind that the next time I see you like that, I'm going to do unspeakable things to you."

Breena chuckled. "Promises, promises."

Addena lowered her back down on the bed. "That's a promise I intend to keep. But for right now you need to get some sleep."

"But..." Breena growled as she yawned again.

"See, you're body agrees with me." Addena helped her lay down. "Don't fight this Bree. You need to rest."

"Will you stay with me?"

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

They settled into the same position they were in before only this time Addena laid with her head on Breena's shoulder rather than her chest so she could see her.

"Does your leg hurt?"

"No."

"Liar." Addena paused. "Do you think Elphaba made it to Glinda?"

Breena nodded. "I know she did."

"How?"

"Because it's too important for her not to. Like I told her, have some faith in our magic."

"It's not your magic I'm questioning, it's luck. It hasn't exactly been on our side lately."

"They'll be here soon."

A chill ran down Addena's spine as she remembered the last time her semi-lucid girlfriend told her someone would be showing up.

Breena tightened her grip when she felt her shiver. "Are you cold?"

"No."

"K." Breena was almost asleep.

"Bree?"

"Hm?"

"I changed my mind again. I don't want you to close your eyes."

Breena frowned. "Huh?"

"What if..." Addena swallowed the lump in her throat. "What if you don't open them again."

"As soon as I'm stronger you're going to do unspeakable things to me. If that's not motivation to wake up I don't know what is." She locked eyes with Addena. "You're going to be stuck with me for a long time to come Doc. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm going to hold you to that." Addena threw her arm over the witch, pulling her as close as she could.

"Now you better catch some shut eye." Breena kissed her on top of the head. "You're going to need your strength too."

Addena grinned as she watched her love drift off. "I love you."

Breena managed a barely recognizable, "Love you too."

It no time at all they were both asleep, safe in the arms of the other.


	38. Chapter 38

She had always heard that your life could change in the blink of an eye but she never really believed it. How could she? She'd spent her entire life in the same village where no one took her seriously. It seemed inevitable that she would be a glorified babysitter for the rest of her life.

Then fate threw her for a loop by giving her the idea to take the group of kids who spent more time with her than their parents on a nature walk. She should have realized something was going to happen when the community agreed that it was a good idea, saying the children needed to know life went on despite the trapper attacks. If she only knew.

Not only had she struck up a friendship with the legendary Breena Thropp, she was on speaking terms with the infamous Wicked Witch of the West and free to roam around the childhood home of Glinda the Good. Her family might have been proud if she wasn't an orphan.

"Hello there."

Penny nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the greeting.

"Sorry." The Wizard gave her a sheepish grin. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's all right." She was shocked to see both him and Lion sitting at the counter running down the middle of the kitchen. If someone had told her she would meet the Wonderful Wizard of Oz someday, let alone run into him on her way to get a drink of water, she would have laughed in their face. "Hi back."

This time the Wizard smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She cast a glance at Lion as she walked by him. He was sitting with his chin in his paw, looking forlorn. "What's his problem?"

"He's just a little down because he can't go see Breena."

"What?" Penny was obviously shocked by his statement. "Why not? Did something else happen?"

"No, no." The Wizard was quick to assure her. "Maeve mentioned a spell she thought might help Elphaba locate Glinda but they couldn't find it in the Grimmerie. So they went upstairs to see if Breena could help."

"Oh," she nodded. "Well that makes sense."

"No it doesn't." Lion disagreed. "They could have at least let me see her."

Penny chuckled sarcastically. "I think finding Glinda is more important."

"All I wanted to do was say hi." Lion retorted. "Other people have been hogging her since she woke up."

"I'm sure she'll take time out of her busy schedule to visit with you later." Penny spoke as she started toward the sink again.

"Or not," Maeve mumbled, having walked in just in time to hear the tail end of their conversation.

Fiyero elbowed her. "Maeve!"

"What?" She snapped, rubbing at her now throbbing side.

"I thought we agreed that Mrs. Upland would handle telling him what happened." He spoke in a hushed tone.

"We did." She whispered back.

"Then shut up before they..."

"Don't tell me to shut up!" Maeve poked him in the chest.

"Ow!" Fiyero frowned at her. "That hurt!"

She grinned. "Good."

"You stay here and I'll go tell Mrs. Upland we found him."

"No way." Maeve grabbed his arm as he started to leave. "You're not leaving me here alone with them. I already have Addena mad at me."

Fiyero sighed. "She's not mad at you."

"Did you not see the look she gave me?"

The Wizard watched the scene unfold, his head going back and forth between them as if he were watching a tennis match, but couldn't for the life of him figure out what they were talking about.

"Well she's not so just get over it and…"

"Would one of you care to tell us what's going on?" Penny interrupted.

"What?" Maeve turned. "Oh, uh… Nothing." She shrugged. "Nothing at all."

"Yes there is." Lion contradicted her. "Fiyero only gets that look on his face when something's up."

Fiyero furrowed his brow. "What look?"

"Just tell us what's going on." Penny tried again.

"Yeah." Lion perked up. "Spill."

"There's nothing to spill." Maeve spoke before Fiyero could. "Because nothing's going on." She shrugged again.

Penny scowled. "Would you stop doing that? It makes you look like you're having some kind of fit."

"Only if you stop glaring." Maeve countered. "It looks like you're ready to pounce."

"Maybe she will if one of you doesn't come clean." Lion growled.

Fiyero was still frowning. "Why are you two ganging up on us?"

"We're not ganging up on anyone." Penny waved away his comment.

"Yeah." Lion agreed with her again. "You're the ones who came in here whispering and being all mysterious."

"Mysterious?" Maeve wrinkled her nose.

It was Penny's turn to frown. "Is there something wrong with that word?"

"No." Maeve shook her head. "I just would have gone with evasive or elusive or…"

"How about you go with telling us why you keep changing the subject instead of answering our questions?" Penny interrupted her.

"What's going on in here?" Ginny asked as she joined them.

"Ask Frick and Frack over there." Lion pointed toward Fiyero and Maeve.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Frick and Frack?"

"I heard it from Breena." Lion continued to frown at the others.

"They're keeping something from us." Penny supplied.

"I'm afraid that's my fault."

Lion's jaw dropped at Ginny's comment. "What? But you weren't even in the room."

"No, but I asked them to let me talk to the Wizard."

"Why didn't you just say that?" Penny asked Maeve.

"We did." The brunette rolled her eyes.

"No you…" Penny shook her head. "Know what, forget it. Ginny needs to talk to the Wizard so why don't we leave them alone?"

"Actually you and Lion should hear it too." Ginny stopped the Lioness from shepherding people out of the room. "I didn't know you would be with the Wizard when we found him."

"Something happened, didn't it?" The Wizard finally spoke up. "To my girls?"

Ginny gave him a sympathetic look. "Yes."

"Again?!" Lion's face was a mask of disbelief. "Can't those two catch a break?"

"Let her talk." Penny snarled at him.

"Did it have something to do with the spell Elphaba wanted to try?" The Wizard asked.

"In a way." Ginny went to sit next to him. "Maeve, would you like to handle this part?"

"Breena helped us find the locator spell we were looking for." Maeve jumped right in. "Elphaba cast it and thought Glinda was in a series of caves not far from the house. They sent me to get Fiyero."

"When Addena and I went back up to the room with Fiyero, Elphaba was gone and Breena was unconscious." Ginny picked up the narrative.

"Gone?" The Wizard shook his head. "What do you mean Elphaba was gone? And how can Bree be unconscious again?" He frowned. "She was doing so much better!"

"We're not sure." Ginny put a soothing hand on his arm. "Addena seems to think Breena helped Elphaba with a spell and the strain was too much for her."

"I walked back in the room just in time to see Elphaba disappear and Breena pass out." Maeve tried to help.

"Disappear as in disappear disappear?" Lion swallowed hard when she nodded. "Oh man, this is bad. Elphaba's gone and Breena is out of it again." He looked at Penny. "What are we going to do?"

"Does Addena need my help?" Penny asked the older woman.

"No." Ginny pursed her lips. "She said she wanted to be alone with Breena."

"Then this is what we're going to do. Maeve, you saw where Elphaba thinks Glinda might be?"

Maeve nodded in response to the Lioness' question. "Yes."

"You're going to show Fiyero so he can get a group of guards there as soon as possible."

"What good is that going to do?" Fiyero was confused.

"Think about it." Penny didn't say it in a mean way. "Elphaba's top priority since she woke up has been getting Glinda back. If she used a spell to go anywhere, it would be where she thought she was."

"But why?" The Wizard was desperately trying to keep up. "Why wouldn't she have waited to tell Fiyero?

"That's the part we don't know." Ginny answered.

"And we won't until we either find Elphaba or Breena wakes up." Penny continued. "That's why I want to go out with the guards you send, Fiyero. The sooner we know what we're up against, the better."

"All right." Fiyero nodded.

"I want to come too." Lion climbed off his stool.

"Count me in." Maeve added her two cents worth.

Fiyero gave her a sidelong glance. "I don't think so."

Maeve frowned. "Why not?"

"Because you're a girl." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Penny is a girl too."

"Yes, but she's a Lioness."

"What about Elphaba and Breena? You'd let them go if they wanted to."

"They can handle themselves."

Maeve clinched her jaw. "So can I."

"Right."

"I'm going and that's final!"

Fiyero scoffed. "Over my dead body."

She put herself toe to toe with him. "That can be arranged."

"Why don't you continue your conversation on your way to gather the guards?" The sound of Ginny's voice got everyone's attention, allowing her to nod toward the Wizard, who was looking more than a little lost.

"Of course." Fiyero spoke too loudly, earning him a look from Maeve.

"Go." Penny gestured for the others to get moving. "Do you need anything?"

Ginny shook her head. "I think we'll be all right. If I change my mind I can always call for Bernice."

"If you're sure."

"I am." She gave the oversized cat a smile. "Thank you, Penny. You're a good girl."

Penny blushed, giving her a barely audible, "Thanks," before rushing after the others.

Ginny returned her attention to the man sitting next to her. "Would you like some tea?" She wasn't surprised when she didn't get a response. "Tea?" She spoke a little louder.

"What? Oh," the Wizard blinked. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"I'm going to have a cup of tea. Would you like some?"

"No thank you." He started to get up. "I need to go check on Breena."

She put her hand on his arm again. "I don't think that's such a good idea."

"But..."

"I know you're worried about her, but she's in the best possible hands right now. And you should take a moment to process everything you've just heard."

"I..."

"It's not every day you find out one of your daughters disappeared into thin air."

Some of the color leaked from his cheeks as he sank back down on his stool. "You're right, it's not."

"I'm sorry." Ginny felt horrible. "I shouldn't have said it like that."

"You're only trying to help."

"And not doing a very good job of it." She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. "Have some tea with me and then we'll go check on our girls."

He attempted a grin. "I'd like that."

"Good." Ginny went to the stove, making sure there was water in the kettle before turning the fire on under it.

"How do you do it?"

She turned when she heard his voice. "Excuse me?"

"This whole parenting thing." He locked eyes with her. "How do you do it?"

"It's not easy, is it?"

"I wouldn't know." The Wizard hooched his shoulders. "Every time I think I'm going to get to be a father to Elphaba and Breena something ends up happening. First it was Morrible and now it's this whole mess."

Ginny leaned on the counter opposite him. "I think you're selling yourself short."

"Oh really?" He scoffed.

"Yes. You have two incredible daughters."

"No thanks to me. I wasn't around when they were growing up."

"But you're here now. And whether you realize it or not, you've always been a part of them even if you weren't there physically."

What might have been silence between them was interrupted by the whistling of the kettle.

"Let me help you with that." The Wizard offered.

Ginny started to tell him that wasn't necessary but decided against it. "All right. You can get the cups, they're in the second cupboard to your right and I'll get the tea bags." She pulled two from a bin next to the stove before turning off the flame under the kettle. "And now all we need is the water and we'll..." Her voice trailed off when she turned around to find him with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"What if I lose one of them? What if Elphaba never comes back?" He gestured with the cups in his hands. "What if Breena slips away? What if..." He tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"What ifs are a parent's worst enemy." She went to him, taking the cups and putting them on the counter before leading him back over to a stool. "It's easy to drive yourself crazy with them because they're such valid possibilities. And no one can tell you they won't happen." She sat him down. "That's when you have to hold on and hope for the best."

"That's it?"

"That's it." Ginny nodded. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's all we parents have to go on. My girls taught me that a long time ago."

"Great Oz." The Wizard mentally kicked himself as he wiped at his cheeks. "Here I am falling apart when you have a daughter out there somewhere too. I should be trying to comfort you, not crying like a baby."

"It's all right. We all process things in different ways. And like you said, you're still new to all of this. By the next time you'll be an old pro like me."

The Wizard's eyes got big. "There will be a next time?"

Ginny couldn't stop herself from grinning. "There's always a next time."

The Wizard gave her a genuine smile. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that."

"The secret is to make the most of the good moments and try not to dwell on the bad." She sat down next to him. "And to have someone to talk to."

"Like your husband?"

She chortled. "Hardly. When the girls were younger my sister lived here in the Upper Uplands with her family. We helped each other cope. And now that the children are grown and she and her husband moved away we write each other at least once a week."

The Wizard nodded. "So I need to find a confidant."

"I could be one." Ginny offered. "If you'd like me to be. Our daughters are in love so I think it's safe to say we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"I'd like that." He gave her a grateful look as he offered her his hand. "Friends?"

She accepted, giving his hand a firm shake. "Friends."

He tightened his grip on her hand. "Glinda is going to be fine. She's a very resourceful girl."

"See, you're good at this already." Ginny used her free hand to cover their joined ones. "And you should know that Elphaba and Breena are going to be all right as well. I haven't known them long, but I can tell they're pretty resourceful too."

"Yes they are." The Wizard agreed. "Tea?"

Ginny smiled. "Tea."


	39. Chapter 39

"No."

"Glinda please." Elphaba sighed. "Be reasonable."

The blonde crossed her arms over her chest. "I said no."

"But..."

"You heard me Elphie."

"And you heard me." Elphaba retorted. "You're riding in front and that's final."

"Oh it is, is it?"

"Yes." The green woman nodded. "I'm putting my foot down."

"Ha." Glinda chortled, regretting the move when she saw Elphaba clinch her jaw. "Look Elphie, you're the one with the head injury." She lightly traced the angry looking gash on her lover's brow. "What if you have a concussion?"

"I don't have a concussion." Elphaba resisted the urge to lean into her gentle touch. "You're the one who got kidnapped, jumped off a horse and lived in a cave where you didn't eat or sleep properly." She raised an eyebrow when Glinda started to open her mouth. "And don't even try to deny it. I know you."

"Then you should know I'm not going to give up until you agree to let me ride in back."

"And you should know that's never going to happen."

"All I want to do is hold you Elphie." Glinda walked her fingers up a green arm as she batted her eyelashes. "Is that such a crime?"

Elphaba somehow managed not to shiver at the gesture. "Emotional blackmail won't get you anywhere."

"Are you two ready to go?" Cade took an involuntary step back when he got matching glares from the women. "Is something wrong?"

"She's just being stubborn," they both answered at the same time.

"Oh." He nodded. "Well one of you is going to have to give in because we're leaving. We don't know how long the weather will hold so we need to make a run for it while we can."

Glinda glanced outside, still finding it hard to believe that it wasn't raining anymore. Right after Cade and the others took Eadlyn into custody it abruptly stopped, like someone had turned off the tap.

"It's your choice Glinda." Elphaba gestured toward the already mounted guards, who were all staring at them. "You can either ride in front or we can stand here and argue while everyone else goes back to the house."

She frowned at her predicament. "I could say the same to you."

"Which won't get us anywhere." Elphaba answered.

"Last chance." Cade called as he mounted his horse.

"Fine." Glinda finally relented. "But I'm not talking to you."

She thought maybe that last ultimatum would get her her way, but it didn't. So she made good on her word about not speaking, taking it a step further by refusing to even look at Elphaba as she climbed into the saddle.

Elphaba rolled her eyes at Cade as she waited for the blonde to get situated on the horse, earning her a grin from the captain. She returned the gesture as she swung into the saddle behind her lover but her grin quickly faded when she felt the blonde stiffen as she put her arms around her.

Glinda was so concentrated on pouting that she didn't realize Elphie was behind her until she felt someone touching her. Her body went poker straight for a moment before her brain reminded her that these were the arms she wanted to spend the rest of her life in. Once her initial shock wore off she settled back against the green woman, amazed at how perfectly their bodies fit together, even in this position. She couldn't hold in her contented sigh.

"I thought you weren't talking to me."

She could almost picture the self satisfied smirk on Elphie's face. "I'm not."

"Sighing, talking..." Elphaba shrugged. "It's all the same to me."

A grin tugged at Glinda's lips as they followed Cade, the rest of the guards forming a circle around them as they rode away from the cave. The captain had been serious when he said he wasn't taking any chances now that he had them back.

"I love you."

Her grin became a smile at Elphaba's whispered words. "I love you too." She answered as she put her right hand over the two green ones clasped just above her navel.

Relief shot through Elphaba when she felt the pink hand close over her own. "Does that mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

Glinda could have kicked herself for giving her lover such a hard time. Yes she had wanted to hold her in her arms to prove their reunion wasn't just another figment of her overly active

imagination but in the long run, what did it matter who rode where on the horse as long as they were together? "I never really was. I just..."

"I know." The witch saved her from trying to come up with an explanation. "So was I."

Her heart melted. She knew how much it took for Elphie to admit her part in their now ridiculous seeming tiff.

No more words were needed between them as Elphaba tightened her grip and Glinda leaned back against her. This is how they both wanted it to be forever. The two of them against the world. Because as long as they were together, they could handle anything.

Glinda was surprised to find her eyes getting heavy. Between the rhythm of the horse beneath them and the affection radiating from the woman behind her she felt safe for the first time in what seemed like forever.

"It's all right my love, let yourself go." Elphaba placed a kiss on the side of her head. "I've got you."

She tried to resist temptation but just couldn't do it. Another kiss on her curls was the last thing she felt before she drifted off.

It didn't take long for her soft snores to reach Elphaba's ears. That had to be the sweetest sound in the world. Next to the blonde's giggle of course. And her voice. Oh who was Elphaba trying to fool, every noise Glinda made wound her just a little more tightly around the good witch's pinky finger.

Except when she was in pain or scared, as she had been when Elphaba first got to the cave. It wasn't something she wanted to think about but she couldn't avoid it. The images she had seen of Eadlyn hurting Glinda in her vision were bad enough without knowing they were well on their way to coming true when she finally got to her lover.

Tears blurred her vision as she craned her neck to look at Glinda's face. What if she had never seen it again? What if those few moments in the woods after Glinda jumped off the horse were it for them? What if...

She told herself to stop. How many times had she told other people they couldn't live by what ifs and could have beens?

"Elphaba?" Cade spoke in a quiet tone, not wanting to wake the dozing blonde or startle the green witch.

Hearing her name pulled Elphaba from her thoughts. "Cade?" She was shocked to find the captain had slowed down to ride beside them. "Is something wrong?"

"Not at all." He was quick to reassure her. "I just wanted to let you know we're almost to the house." He nodded toward Glinda. "In case you wanted to wake sleeping beauty. She's going to have quite a welcoming committee." He smiled. "You both will."

"Thanks for the heads up." Elphaba gave him a grateful look. "The last thing we need is everyone thinking she's unconscious." She swallowed hard at her choice of words as she wondered yet again how Breena was doing.

Cade noticed her change in demeanor. "Are you all right?"

"Fine." She gave him a half hearted smile.

He nodded, not completely convinced but knowing not to push his luck. "I'll leave you to wake her then." With that he rode ahead again.

"Linny." Elphaba gave her lover a gentle shake. "Wake up."

Glinda mumbled, "Five more minutes."

"No." Elphaba gave her another shake. "I need to open your eyes for me all right?"

"Why?"

"Because we're almost to your house."

"But I'm tired," the blonde whined.

"I know my love. And I would like nothing more than to let you sleep. But everyone is going to want to know that you're all right and it will be hard to convince them of that you are if you're out cold in my arms."

Glinda blinked. "We're home?"

Elphaba nodded. "Almost."

"Then why can't I sleep until we get there?"

"Because I don't want you being a grump with everyone."

"Grump? I'm not a grump." Glinda huffed. "If anyone is a grump when they first wake up it's you."

"And if getting in a snit wakes anyone up it's you."

"Sneak." The blonde growled.

Elphaba grinned. "Whatever works."

Glinda didn't rise to the bait to continue their banter as she sat up a little straighter, stretching the best she could. "How long was I asleep?"

"Not long."

She yawned. "I'm sorry I haven't been better company."

Elphaba gave her a squeeze. "You were perfect company."

"Because I wasn't talking your ear off?"

"Because you were here," Elphaba leaned down to nuzzle her neck.

Glinda tilted her head, giving her more access. "I thought you said we were almost home."

Elphaba pulled away long enough to say, "We are," before continuing her work.

"Then why are you trying to start something we won't be able to finish right away?"

"Captain Cade!"

Elphaba jumped, detaching herself from Glinda and pulling her closer at the same time as she looked around for the source of the voice.

"It's all right Elphie." Glinda put her right hand back over her lover's on her stomach as she pointed with her left one. "It's just a guard."

The witch relaxed a little when she saw a man in Gale Force uniform come running through the circle of riders around them.

"It's good to see you sir." The man smiled. "And it's a relief to see the two of you again. Master Fiyero and a group of others were just about to come looking for you Miss Elphaba."

She frowned. "They were?"

The man nodded. "It's not every day someone disappears into thin air."

"Disappears?" Glinda furrowed her brow.

"The spell." Elphaba reminded her.

"It's good to see you again too Smithens." Cade saved Elphaba from having to say more. "I warned the ladies they would have a welcoming committee."

The man chuckled. "That's putting it mildly." His good humor disappeared when he saw Eadlyn thrown over one of the horses in chains. "Is that the bastard who caused all the trouble?" He blushed as he cast a baleful glance at the girls. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Glinda waved away his concern. "We think he's a bastard too."

"He's the one." Cade confirmed. "I want your squad to help my men get him back to the house and take over guarding him once you get there. He's not to be left alone or let out of those chains for any reason. Tell anyone who even thinks of going against that order they'll share a cell with him at Southstairs."

"Understood." Smithens saluted before bowing toward the girls again. "Welcome home."

"Thank you." Elphaba acknowledged his words.

Cade motioned for the rest of his men to go with Smithens as he started walking away.

"You can go with them." Elphaba told him.

Glinda nodded her agreement. "I know my way from here." She pointed toward the house in the distance to prove her point. "See."

"I don't think we need to be tempting fate like that." Cade pooh poohed their idea. "I mean the Wizard will want a full report on what happened at the cave." He changed his tone when they both frowned at him.

It looked like someone was throwing a party when they reached the house a few minutes later. There were guards and Animals and staff members milling around outside, almost as if they were waiting for something.

Elphaba swallowed nervously. "What's going on?"

"I have no idea." Glinda tightened her grip on her lover's hands.

"There they are!" A cheer went up from the gathered crowd as they realized whoever had spoken was right.

Cade smiled as the girls looked to him for some kind of guidance. "Didn't I say there would be people to welcome you home?"

"You mean they're all here for us?" Elphaba was amazed.

"They're all here for you." Cade confirmed as they stopped just outside the front door. He motioned to a few of the guards as the crowd started to close in around them, everyone trying to speak at one time. "Keep them back! At least until they have a chance to get off their horse!"

One of the guards reached up, offering Glinda a hand down. She gave him one of her best Glinda the Good smiles. "Thank you."

"You're welcome my lady." He bowed once she was on the ground again. "Miss Elphaba?" He quickly reached up to help her too.

Elphaba stared at his proffered hand. Since when did the guards try to help her?

"Come on Elphie." Glinda encouraged her.

"Thanks." Elphaba accepted his assistance.

"It's my pleasure ma'am." He gave her a genuine smile.

"You're home!"

"Praise Ozma!"

"We knew she'd find you Lady Glinda."

"It's true. We had every confidence in you Elphaba."

Everyone around them spoke at once but it wasn't until they started moving that Elphaba grabbed Glinda, shoving her behind her in a protective gesture.

"It's all right, Elphie." Glinda put herself back at her lover's side, taking her hand. "They're not going to hurt us."

"How do you know?" Elphaba eyed them wearily.

"Because I do." Glinda gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Trust me."

Elphaba opened her mouth to say it wasn't the blonde she didn't trust but never got the chance. A woman stepped forward and started jabbering excitedly about how great it was to have the two of them back. Glinda barely had a chance to acknowledge her kind words before someone else took her place.

Glinda slipped into public figure mode, listening attentively to what everyone said while giving them a smile or a nod or a little pat on the arm. And the crowd ate it up. As soon as someone had their say, they moved aside to give someone else a chance. And all Elphaba had to do was stand there. They didn't expect anything. They just wanted to share their happiness at seeing them.

Elphaba's head spun at the concept. Would she ever get used to the fact that people accepted her now? That they no longer saw her as a threat but as the daughter of their beloved Wizard and lover of their darling Glinda?

"You're back!"

A familiar voice sounded in her ear as she found herself being drawn into a tight embrace.

"You're back!" Lion repeated himself as he held them close.

"Give someone else a turn big guy." Fiyero nudged the feline out of the way. "Thank Oz you're both safe." He gave them a hug before pulling back to look at them, wincing when he saw the scraps and bruises on Glinda and the gash on Elphaba's brow. "Are you both all right?"

Glinda smiled. "We're fine. Just a little the worse for wear."

"You can say that again." Maeve teased as she joined Fiyero.

"Don't either of you ever scare me like that again!" Fiyero chastised them. "I think you gave me grey hair!"

"And I think they've been through enough without you yelling at them." Maeve gave him a look. "And you don't have grey hair."

"How would you know?" He huffed.

"I see the locator spell worked." She ignored the comment as she returned her attention to Glinda and Elphaba. "And whatever you and Breena used to get you to the caves."

"How is Bree?" Elphaba finally found her voice, swallowing hard when Maeve, Fiyero and Lion shared a look.

"She asked a question." Glinda pursed her lips when no one gave her lover an answer.

"We're not sure." Penny spoke up from behind the others.

Glinda did a double take when she saw her. "There are two Lions now?" She leaned in close to whisper to Elphaba.

"Glinda, this is Penny. Penny, Glinda." Elphaba handled introductions. "She and Bree became friends at the trappers camp."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Glinda." Penny gave her a shy glance.

"Please call me Glinda." The blonde informed her. "And what do you mean you don't know how Breena is?"

"She passed out after Elphaba disappeared." Maeve fielded the question. "Addena is with her now but we haven't heard any word on whether she's woken up again yet."

"But that's not necessarily bad." Fiyero tried to help when he saw Elphaba's face fall. "Maybe they're talking or something."

"We'll go check on her." Glinda's tone was soothing as she stroked her love's arm with her free hand. "Cade, can you fill everyone in on what happened at the caves?"

"Of course." He readily volunteered.

"Come on Elphie." Glinda led her away. "Everything's going to be fine, you'll see."

Elphaba wanted to believe she was right but steeled herself for the worst as they walked into the house.


	40. Chapter 40

"She passed out..."

Maeve's words echoed through Elphaba's mind as Glinda led her into the house. Bree was unconscious again. She was with Addena, which mean she was in good hands, but the doctor hadn't said anything about her waking up yet, which was bad. That wasn't the kind of information Addena would keep to herself.

What if Bree was back in the place where she'd been stuck before? What if she couldn't get out this time? What if she never woke up again?

The thought made her head spin. This was all her fault. Addena had made it abundantly clear that Bree was too weak to do any magic and trusted her to make sure she didn't. She had every intention of making sure her sister followed the doctors orders until she had her vision. Then all she could think about was getting to Glinda.

Damn her powers anyway. If they were as sentient as Yackle seemed to think how could they make her chose between her lover and her sister? How could they warn her that something was going to happen to Glinda when her only chance to get to her involved Breena helping her with a spell?

She shouldn't have panicked. She should have some up with another way to get to Glinda. She should have stuck to her guns and said no when Bree mentioned the transportation spell. But she didn't. And now her sister was paying the price for getting her lover back.

"Glinda!"

The sound of someone calling her lover's name pulled her from her thoughts a split second before Glinda's hand was torn from her own. Elphaba looked up sharply, ready for a fight.

"Oh Glinda." Bernice held the younger woman close. "Thank the Unnamed God you're safe."

Elphaba relaxed when she saw the maid.

"Hello to you too Bernie." Glinda returned the embrace.

"It's so good to have you home." Bernice held her at arm's length to inspect her. "A little rough around the edges but still in one piece."

Glinda grinned. "That's one way of putting it."

"And you." She turned her attention to Elphaba. "Thank you for bringing our little Glinda back to us." She let go of the blonde to grab the green woman, pulling her into a hug.

Elphaba looked at Glinda, who gave her an encouraging nod. "You're welcome." She awkwardly patted the woman on the back.

Bernice took a half step back to look at her. "She means the world and all to everyone in this house."

"She means a lot to me too." Elphaba glanced at the blonde again. "She's my everything."

Bernice pursed her lips as tears filled her eyes. "You're such a sweet girl. I don't know how anyone could have ever thought you were wicked." Her eyes got big as she clamped her hand over her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right." Elphaba downplayed her concern.

"It most certainly is not." Bernice's tone was stern. "You might be tough Miss Elphaba, but deep down every young lady wants to be accepted. So don't pretend it doesn't upset you." She cupped a green cheek. "Don't let people badmouth you, dear. You don't deserve it."

Glinda sidled up to her blushing lover, knowing she was about to go into kindness overload. "See why we've kept her around for so long, Elphie?"

"Because I was the only one who would put up with three women like you, your sister and your mother?" Bernice raised an eyebrow.

"Obviously not." Glinda countered. "Elphie and Breena are braving our family too."

"Like I said, she's a good girl." Bernice smiled at Elphaba again. "And so is her sister. Speaking of which, I'm sure you would rather be upstairs checking on her instead of standing here talking to me. So go." She made a shooing motion with her hand.

"Has anyone said anything? About how she's doing?"

Bernice shook her head in response to the blonde's question. "Not yet."

Glinda slipped her arm around Elphie's waist when her green shoulders slumped.

"But I'm sure everything will be all right." The maid spoke again. "I haven't really had a chance to meet Miss Breena yet, but I know she's a fighter. She has to be if she's in a relationship with Addena." She half grinned at Elphaba, hoping to lighten the mood. "Just like you if you're willing to take on that one."

"Come on, Elphie." Glinda stuck her tongue out at the older woman as they started to walk away. "Let's go check on Bree."

"Your mother and the Wizard just headed upstairs a few minutes ago." Bernice called after them. "The Wizard." She chattered to herself as she walked in the opposite direction as the girls. "Who ever would have thought I would see the day that the Wizard was roaming around Upland Manor?"

"I'm beginning to think this whole magic thing is more of a curse than a gift." Elphaba mumbled as they made their way up the stairs.

Glinda tightened her grip on her lover. "It's not a curse Elphie. Think of how many times your and Breena's powers have saved our lives."

"It's evenly matched with how many times they've put us in danger." Elphaba sighed. "Just when it seems like we're getting a handle on what we can do, something else pops up. There are too many unknowns. Too many variables."

"There goes that scientific mind again." Glinda chided her. "I know this sounds cliche, but you need to relax a little where your powers are concerned."

"You mean be more like Bree?"

"No, I wouldn't ever want you to change who you are Elphie. But sometimes you need to trust yourself more."

"Have faith in what I can do?"

Glinda nodded. "Exactly."

"That's what Bree told me."

"She's pretty smart." Glinda looked at her girlfriend. "Like her sister."

"If I'm so smart why couldn't I find a way to save you without endangering Bree?"

"Oh Elphie." Glinda pulled her lover closer. "Stop being so hard on yourself."

It was on the tip of Elphaba's tongue to tell her that was easier said than done but someone else beat her to speaking.

"Glinda?"

They were both shocked to find they had not only made it all the way up the stairs but were to Glinda and Addena's rooms already. Ginny and the Wizard were standing just outside Addena's door, the Wizard's hand still on the doorknob.

"Glinda!" Ginny rushed toward her daughter.

"Momsie!" Glinda let go of Elphaba to run to her mother.

Elphaba watched as they met in a bone crushing hug. She wanted nothing more than to do the same with her father but she couldn't bring herself to look at him, let alone close the gap between them. He must be furious with her for what happened to Breena.

"Elphaba?" His voice was gentle as he walked toward her.

"I..." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Thank Oz you're all right!" Glinda and Ginny spoke at the same time as they held each other at arm's length. They both gave a relaxed giggle before embracing again.

"I'm sorry." Elphaba's voice was barely audible as her father reached her. "I'm so sorry."

His breath caught in his throat as a single tear made its way down her cheek. "There's nothing to be sorry for."

She finally looked at him before throwing herself into his arms.

* * *

Addena's eyes snapped open when she heard a door shut.

"It's all right." Breena rubbed her back. "It was just our parents checking on us."

She propped herself up on one elbow to look at her girlfriend. "What are you doing up?"

"Unlike some people I don't sleep like a rock."

"Well they're done so you can go back to sleep."

"You won't get an argument from me." Breena yawned.

"Wow." Addena raised her eyebrows. "You must really be tired."

"Um hm." The witch shut her eyes.

Addena grinned as she looked down at her, nearly jumping out of her skin when she heard someone yell out in the hall. "What the hell was that?"

Breena yawned as a second voice joined the first. "Sounds like a party."

"What's going on out there?" Addena glared at the door.

"X ray vision isn't one of my specialties."

"Smart ass."

"Would you rather I be a dumb ass?"

The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "It's good to see your sarcasm is still intact."

"It would take a lot more than a fever to get rid of that."

Addena clinched her jaw when the voices sounded again. "That does it." She started to get off the bed.

Breena grabbed her arm. "Where are you going?"

"To tell them to shut up."

"That's not very nice."

"They're yelling is interrupting your rest. I don't have to be nice."

"Aw." Breena gave her a goofy grin. "I love when you get all momma bear where I'm concerned."

Addena stared into her green eyes. "It's my job."

"No, this is your job." Breena pulled her down for a kiss.

"Oh no you don't." Addena reluctantly pulled away. "I'm still going to check things out."

"Would you at least consider 'be quiet' or 'pipe down?'"

Addena shook her head as she gave her girlfriend a peck on the lips. "I'll try to be nice. You go back to sleep."

Breena watched the doctor use her hand to smooth a few blonde strands as she stood. "You should leave it messy. It will add to the scare factor when you start yelling."

"Shut up." Addena gave her another kiss.

"That's still not very nice." Breena grinned as she let her eyes close again.

Addena watched her for a second longer, running her fingers through short dark hair before heading for the door. What she found when she did made her freeze in the doorway.

Ginny and Glinda were clinging to one another, tears streaming down their cheeks. The Wizard was holding Elphaba too, her head nestled against his shoulder.

"Glinda?" She finally found her voice again.

"Dena!" Glinda squealed as she pulled away from their mother to throw her arms around her sister.

"Shhh!" Addena shushed her, glancing back into her room.

"Sorry." Glinda bit her lip. "I'll... Wait a minute." She pushed back to look at her. "If Bree's unconscious why do we have to be quiet?"

"She's been very sick." Ginny tried to explain.

"And I'm not unconscious anymore." Breena called from the bedroom.

"You're supposed to be asleep." Addena chastised her.

Elphaba's head shot up. "Bree?"

"I'm trying, but all that yakking is keeping me awake."

"Bree!" The green witch pushed past her father to run into the room.

"Wait." Addena pulled Glinda with her as she hurried after Elphaba.

"Hi Elly." Breena was all smiles.

Addena managed to grab Elphaba's arm as she started to hug her sister. "Don't!"

"Dena!" Glinda frowned at her.

"I'm sorry." Addena let go of Elphaba. "I shouldn't have done that. It's just, the instant she sees that cut on your forehead she's going to try to heal it and she's still too weak to be doing something like that."

"I'm a lot stronger now, my fever broke. Remember?" Breena furrowed her brow as she looked up at her sister. "And it's only a little cut."

"That's not the point." The doctor snapped.

"Maybe she's right." Elphaba took a half step back from the bed. "Maybe I shouldn't..."

"I was just joking." Breena reached for her sister's hand, sighing when Elphaba avoided her. "I won't heal you. I promise."

Addena rolled her eyes. "We've heard that one before."

"I can control who I heal and who I don't you know. At least I can when the connection Elly and I isn't in danger."

"I think she's serious." Glinda came to her defense. "As a matter of fact I'll help her prove it." With that she leaned down to give Breena a hug.

"Glinda Upland you stop that this instant!" Ginny used her best mother voice.

The Wizard couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth as he said, "They'll be fine."

"Thanks Glinda." Breena grinned as the blonde pushed back after a moment.

"Anytime." She leaned in to give her another squeeze. "And thank you for keeping your promise."

"I'd say you're welcome but you look like you've been through a meat grinder so it hardly seems right."

"You're such a charmer." Glinda returned her grin as she straightened up.

"I think I proved my point." Breena spoke to her sister.

Elphaba stayed where she was.

"Come on." Breena gestured with her hands. "I don't bite."

Elphaba swallowed hard as she hesitantly sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Oh for the love..." Breena grabbed her.

The move caught Elphaba off guard. When she realized her sister was touching her she struggled to get away. But the longer Breena held her the more relaxed she got until eventually she melted into the embrace.

"Bree." Her voice shook. "I... I thought..."

"It's all right, Elly." Breena tightened her grip. "I've got you."

Elphaba wrapped her arms around Breena and cried.

Glinda latched onto Addena. "I love you."

Addena closed her eyes as she nestled her cheek against her sister's blonde curls. "I love you too."

The Wizard put his hand on Ginny's shoulder as she sniffled, blinking back tears of his own.

"All right, that's enough." Breena finally spoke after a few minutes. "You're squishing me. Not to mention soaking my nice clean nightgown."

Elphaba wiped at her cheeks as she sat up. "Did your fever really break?"

"That's what my doctor says." Breena nodded toward Addena.

"It did." Addena confirmed. "And her wound is looking great. She'll still be weak for a few days but other than that I think she'll make a full recovery."

The Wizard felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. "Well it's about damn time."

Breena grinned. "That's what I said."

"How did you get hurt in the first place?" Glinda asked. "I know there was some fighting at the animal camp but Elphie didn't exactly have time to go into detail."

"She was protecting me." Ginny gave the reclining witch a grateful look. "She saved my life."

"I don't know if I would go that far." Breena blushed.

"I would." The older woman countered.

"How about you two?" Breena quickly changed the subject. "What happened at the caves? I mean the spell obviously worked." She quirked an eyebrow at Addena when the doctor gave her a disapproving look. "What? I can at least talk about magic can't I?"

"I found Glinda, that's what happened." Elphaba stepped in, not wanting to go into detail about what happened.

"And then she kicked Eadlyn's ass." Glinda finished for her.

"Glinda." Ginny tisked. "Such language."

"That's what happens when she hangs around ruffians like us, right sis?" Breena gave Elphaba a playful nudge, taking her sister's hand when she didn't get a response. "What about Eadlyn? You didn't..."

"No." Glinda shook her head.

"I thought about it." Elphaba added before her lover could say more. "After everything he's put this family through he would have deserved it." She glanced at Glinda. "But someone made me see the error of my ways."

Glinda smirked. "So she threw him around like a rag doll instead."

"Good." Breena gave Elphaba's hand a squeeze.

"And then Cade and his men showed up and arrested him." Glinda finished the story.

"So he's in custody?" The Wizard clinched his jaw when both Elphaba and Glinda nodded. "That means I get to pass sentence on him."

"Lock him up and throw away the key." Ginny suggested.

"I'm sure there's room for him in the cell Boq and Morrible are sharing." Breena yawned.

"I think that's our cue to leave." Elphaba started to stand up.

"Hey!" Breena kept her grip on her sister's hand. "Where do you think you're going?"

"You heard Addena, you're going to be weak for a while yet Bree. You need your rest."

"But..."

"And I should really take a look at Linny and Elphaba." Addena interrupted her girlfriend.

"They're just scratches." Glinda waved away her concern.

"You'll let her examine you and that's final." Ginny used her mom voice again.

"And don't you argue." The Wizard followed suit as he pointed at Breena.

"Fine." Breena yawned again.

"Words can't describe how glad I am that you're all right." Elphaba hugged her again.

"We Thropps are made of tough stuff." Breena quipped.

"So are the Arduenna Uplands." Ginny chimed in. "But everyone in this room is exhausted so I'm officially declaring tomorrow a bed day."

"Bed day?" The Wizard crinkled his forehead.

"Bed day!" Glinda clapped her hand. "We haven't had one of those in ages."

"Everyone stays in bed all day." Ginny explained. "And we haven't had one because we were never all together."

"Sounds good to me." Breena was already half asleep.

Addena smiled. "Let's go you two. The sooner we get your examinations over, the sooner we can all get some sleep."

"I'll stay here with Breena." The Wizard volunteered.

"You're coming with us aren't you Momsie?" Glinda reached for her mother's hand.

"Of course I am." Ginny was more than willing to take Glinda's hand in one of her own before reaching for Elphaba with the other. "Come along, dear. You can visit more with her once we're all rested."

Elphaba placed a gentle kiss on her sister's cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too Elly."

"I'll be back in a little while." Addena took Elphaba's place on the edge of the bed.

Breena didn't even bother to open her eyes. "I'll be here."

"You better be." Addena gave her a kiss before bouncing into a standing posiion ha . "Let's go."

"I'll take good care of her," the Wizard assured Elphaba as she walked by him, looking at Breena wistfully.

The corner of Elphaba's mouth turned up. "I know you will."

He watched the four of them leave the room before returning his attention to Breena, not at all surprised to find she was already out.

"Sleep well little one." He pulled the blankets up over her. "Because when you're feeling better I'm having a talk with you and your sister about scaring me."


	41. Chapter 41

Glinda sat next to Elphie on the side of her bed, trying not to watch as Dena worked on her lover but she couldn't stop herself. The way her sister used the needle and thread to make small, even stitches was almost hypnotic. That didn't mean she wasn't still grossed out.

"Doesn't that hurt?" She hissed.

Elphaba grinned. "No."

"I numbed her before I started." Addena explained. "And you need to hold still if you want these stitches to be straight." She admonished, sighing when Elphaba opened her mouth to answer. "I know, you won't have a scar once Bree heals you but just humor me for now all right?"

"Actually I was going to apologize." Elphaba corrected her.

"Oh." Addena closed her eyes for a moment. "I'm sorry, Elphaba. I shouldn't have assumed..."

"It's all right." The green woman interrupted her. "We've all been under a lot of stress. It will take a little while to get back on an even keel."

"That's no excuse for me snapping at you like that."

"It was more of a stern warning than a snap."

Glinda tightened her grip on Elphie's hand as her sister went back to using the needle. "That really doesn't hurt?"

"It really doesn't." Elphaba assured her, glad for the change of subject.

"If you had taken your time in the bath like Elphaba told you to I would have been done before you got back out here." Addena ribbed her sister, knowing how squeamish she could be sometimes.

"I wanted to make sure Elphie was all right. That's why I let her bath first, so you could check her out."

Addena instantly felt guilty, knowing she would have been the same way if the shoe was on the other foot. "Other than this cut she has some bumps and bruises."

"Nothing to be worried about though." Elphaba added.

"How bad is it?" Glinda nodded toward the area her sister was stitching.

"A few more and she'll be good as new." Addena concentrated on what she was doing. "How did you get this anyway?"

"The spell Breena and I used put me in a cave above the one where Glinda was being held. I feel through the floor. Or the ceiling, depending on how you look at it."

"And landed on your head?" Glinda asked, horrified.

"Not exactly." Elphaba squeezed her hand.

"There you go." Addena sat back. "All done."

"Thanks." Elphaba instantly reached up to touch her brow.

"Don't do that." Glinda smacked her hand.

"Ow." She gave her lover a look.

"You'll mess up Dena's handiwork." The blonde explained her actions.

"Here." Addena put a gauze pad over the cut, using a couple of pieces of surgical tape to hold it in place. "Don't take that off," she added in a mock stern voice.

"I won't." Elphaba promised.

"All right." Addena turned to her sister. "You're turn. Off with the robe."

"Uh..." Glinda suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Maybe Elphie should go check on Bree while we do this."

"No way." Elphaba shot down the idea. "You were here for me and I plan on doing the same for you."

"But I'm fine." Glinda tried appealing to her sister. "You really don't have to examine me."

"Didn't you hear what Mom said earlier?" Addena gestured toward the door. "She's waiting outside you know. I can go get her if you need a reminder."

"No, I don't need you to go get Mom." The younger blonde snapped as she got up. "I just need you to believe me when I say I'm fine."

Elphaba shared a look with Addena, both of them shocked by the outburst. "What's going on Glinda?"

"The two of you are ganging up on me, that's what's going on." Glinda gruffed.

"No one's ganging up on anyone, Linny. I just want to make sure you're all right." Addena tried to reason with her.

"I already told you I'm fine."

Elphaba went over to her. "Then it won't hurt for Addena to make sure."

"Why can't you both just believe me and leave me alone?" Tears glistened in Glinda's eyes.

Realization hit the witch like a ton of bricks. "He did something, didn't he?" Her hand curled into a fist at her side. "Eadlyn hurt you and you don't want us to see."

"It's not so much I don't want you to see as..." Glinda swallowed hard. "As get the wrong idea."

"Wrong idea?" Addena echoed her words.

"Eadlyn, he..." Glinda closed her eyes. "He tried to... He didn't... He never... Mason stopped him before he could do anything."

"Then why won't you let us see you?" Elphaba spoke through clinched teeth.

"Because he... I have some bruises."

"Let us see." Addena waited half a second before growling, "Please."

Glinda didn't reply, she just nodded and slowly untied the belt holding her robe closed. She took a deep breath before pulling it open and letting it fall to the floor.

"That bastard." Addena's voice was laced with rage when she saw the fingerprint bruises on her sister's breasts.

Elphaba's mouth fell open. "He fondled you?!"

"But that's all he did Elphie." Glinda's voice had an edge of begging to it. "He never..."

"It's all right." Addena came to her rescue. "You don't have to explain anything to us."

"But I do." Glinda contradicted her. "I..." She blinked back tears. "I feel dirty enough without you two thinking something more happened."

"Dirty?" Elphaba couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Glinda nodded. "How else am I supposed to feel? You both think he... he..."

Elphaba pulled her into her arms as she finally gave in to her tears. "No we don't Glinda. I'm sorry if we made you think we did."

"Me too." Addena rubbed her sister's back.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of, Glinda. If anyone should feel dirty it's him." Elphaba clinched her jaw as she held the blonde close. "I should have killed that son of a bitch when I had the chance."

"No." Glinda threw her arms around the green woman. "He's a despicable, vile, poor excuse for a human but you can't sink to his level, Elphie. He'll pay for what he's done. You're father will see to that. You did what you came to that cave to do."

Elphaba's voice shook as she said, "I saved you."

Glinda nodded as she put her head against her lover's chest. "You saved me."

Tears were blurring Addena's vision as she watched them cling to one another. Eadlyn might have been in custody but his presence in their lives would be felt for a long time to come.

"Uh," she cleared her throat in an effort to keep her voice steady. "Why don't I examine you so you two can get to bed?"

"All right." Glinda reluctantly pulled away from Elphie but kept a tight grip on a green hand.

Addena tried to keep telling herself she was looking at just another patient but it didn't work. Her sister's delicate flesh was covered in healing scrapes and bruises.

"I got them when I jumped off a horse."

She looked up into her sister's blue eyes, knowing Glinda was trying to make this whole ordeal easier for her. She was the one who was kidnapped and terrorized and she was trying to make it easier for her. Addena gave herself a hard mental kick in the pants. She needed to stop thinking about herself and start concentrating on helping her little sister.

"Somehow I can't picture you doing that."

Glinda gave her a grateful grin. "Yeah well, desperate times call for desperate measures. Elphie was trying to rescue me but she couldn't use magic for fear of hurting me. So I..."

"Took a dive?" Addena quirked an eyebrow as she asked.

"It wasn't that bad." Glinda shrugged. "But I would have given anything to see the expression on his face when I did it."

Addena chuckled in spite of herself. "Leave it to you to think of something like that." She probed her sister's bruised right cheek. "This didn't happen at the same time."

"No." Glinda flinched at her touch. "I bobbed when I should have weaved."

"He hit her." Elphaba's voice was barely audible.

Glinda met her sister's eyes again. "Are we done?"

"Yes. And my diagnosis is that you're going to be fine." Addena picked up her robe, helping her back into it. The instant Glinda let go of Elphaba's hand she stalked across the room to look out the window. "I'm sorry, Linny." She pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You don't have anything to apologize for. None of this was your fault."

"Do you want me to stay and..."

"No." Glinda pulled back to look at her. "I want you to tell me you love me and then go check on that woman of yours."

"But..."

"I need some time alone with Elphie."

Addena nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." Glinda gave her another squeeze. "Now get out of here."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

Addena kissed her unmarred cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"If you're lucky." Glinda grinned. "It's bed day, remember?"

Addena returned her grin, admiring her sister's ability to see the bright side of life rather than wallowing in what she had been through. "How could I have forgotten that?" She picked up her medical bag, casting a glance in Elphaba's direction as she walked toward the door. "Good night."

"Night." Elphaba didn't bother turning around.

Glinda put her hand on her sister's arm when she gave her a look. "We'll be fine. Go give Bree our love."

"I will." Addena gave her another hug. "Don't hesitate to come get me if you need me."

"Thanks." Glinda opened the door for her.

"You know you don't have to thank me." And with that Addena walked out of the room.

Glinda closed the door behind her, giving herself a moment to try to calm her jumbled nerves before turning to face her girlfriend. "Elphie?" She was surprised to find herself being pulled into lithe arms.

"I'm so sorry, Glinda." Elphaba buried her cheek against golden curls. "He never should have been able to touch you. I never should have let him get his hands on you in the first place."

"Elphie..."

"I should have protected you." Elphaba's voice caught in her throat as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I should have been there to protect you."

"You can't protect me from everything or be with me every second of every day." Glinda held her at arm's length. "I told Dena and now I'm telling you, none of this was your fault. Do you hear me, Elphaba Thropp? None of this was your fault." She punctuated each word.

"It feels like it is."

"Well it's not." Glinda pulled her to her again. "You saved my life, Elphie. You should feel like a hero."

Elphaba chortled. "I'm no hero."

"You're my hero." She was quick to correct her.

They held each other close, knowing they didn't need to say another word. Eventually Elphaba pulled back, staring into crystal blue eyes for a moment before capturing Glinda's pink lips. Glinda groaned at the contact, pouring everything she was feeling into the kiss. Tears mixed with passion as Elphaba slowly backed the blonde over to the bed.

"I love you, Glinda." Elphaba spoke as she lowered her to the mattress.

Glinda looked up at her. "I..." Her voice cracked as fresh tears streamed down her face. "I love you too, Elphie."

"Hey." Elphaba cupped her cheek. "What's wrong?"

"I can't stop thinking about him hitting you with that branch." She sniffled. "I thought he killed you."

"It would take more of a man than he'll ever be to keep me away from you, Glinda."

"You say the sweetest things sometimes." Glinda pulled her down for another passionate lip lock.

Elphaba kept Glinda's mouth engaged as she untied her robe, pushing it back to reveal creamy skin. "You're beautiful, Glinda." She gently kissed the bruise on her cheek before doing the same to the other bruises Eadlyn had left behind. "I still find it hard to believe you're mine sometimes."

"I am. Heart and soul." She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the lips she loved against her flesh. "Elphie?"

"Hmm?"

"Will you do something for me?"

"Anything, my love."

"Hold me."

Elphaba smiled down at her. "Forever if you want me too."

Glinda sniffled again as the green woman pulled her robe back over her before settling in next to her. The blonde wasted no time putting herself in her lover's arms so her back was spooned against Elphaba's body. "I'm sorry, Elphie. I know you wanted to..."

"I'm right where I want to be." Elphaba cut her off before placing kissing her on the back of the head. "You're safe now, Linny. Get some rest."

Glinda cuddled closer against her before finally giving in to her exhaustion. In no time soft snores filled the air.

"I swear I'm never going to let anyone hurt you again, Glinda." Elphaba tightened her grip around the blonde's petite waist her eyes drifted shut.

* * *

Addena leaned against the door once she reached the hallway, trying to get a grip on her emotions. Her sister had been attacked. Eadlyn might not have gotten the chance to do something unspeakable, but that didn't change the fact that Glinda had been violated. It made her want to find where they were keeping the bastard so she could...

"Are you done examining them already?"

"Are they both all right?"

She opened her eyes to find her mother and the Wizard looking at her. It took every ounce of self control she had not to go into her mother's arms and cry her eyes out. But that would prompt some questions that she knew she couldn't answer. The ordeal with Eadlyn was Glinda's tale to tell and Addena knew her sister well enough to know she would never tell their mother. Ginella was a strong woman but knowing that someone had manhandled one of her daughters with the intention of doing something much worse would crush her. Neither one of her girls was willing to put her through something like that.

So Addena plastered on the best smile she could muster instead. "They're both fine. Elphaba needed some stitches for the cut on her forehead and she has a couple of nasty bruises but she's going to be fine."

"Thank goodness." The Wizard breathed a sigh of relief.

"And your sister?" Ginny asked.

"Her scrapes and bruises look worse than they are and are healing nicely." She resisted the urge to swallow hard, knowing her mother would pick up on it and realize she wasn't telling her everything. "They should both be fine in a few days."

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?"

Damn her motherly instincts anyway. "Positive."

"Absolutely positively sure?"

"Yes."

"There's nothing you're not telling me?" Ginny continued to eye her.

"Mom." Addena had just the right amount of indignation in her voice.

"I'm sorry dear." Ginny put her hand on her daughter's arm. "I'm a mother. I worry."

"And we both appreciate it." She was surprised to find a very real yawn escaping from her mouth. "Excuse me." She covered her mouth until she was done. "If you two don't mind I think I'll go crawl in bed with Bree."

"She hasn't budged since you left." The Wizard volunteered.

"Good. She needs her rest."

"So do you." The Wizard pulled her into a hug. "Thank you Addena. For taking such good care of my girls."

"They're my family now. And that's what families do. They take care of one another."

"It warms my heart to know you think that way." The Wizard smiled before stifling a yawn of his own. "I think that's my cue to wish you both a good night."

"Good night." Ginny returned the sentiment. She waited until he was well on his way to the guest wing before returning her attention to her daughter. "You're sure you're telling me everything?"

Addena rolled her eyes. "Are we really going to go over that again?"

"No." Ginny shook her head, cupping her daughter's cheek. "I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too." Addena pulled her into a hug.

Ginny held her close for a moment before breaking the embrace. "Now go get some sleep. And remember that tomorrow is a bed day. I don't want to see hide nor hair of any of you girls. I'll have Bernice bring you a late breakfast in the morning."

"Thanks Mom."

"You're welcome. Now scoot." She gave her daughter a playful tap on the backside. "I'll come check on you at some point tomorrow." She grinned coyly. "But I'll be sure to knock first."

"Mother!" Addena blushed, mumbling, "Honestly," as she walked into her bedroom.

Ginny beamed. "Good night darling."

"Night." She flashed her mother a genuine smile before closing the door.

"Addy?"

Her attention was instantly drawn to the bed. The Wizard had turned the bedside lamp on low so she could see Breena propping herself up on one elbow. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"I wanted to know how Elly and Glinda are." Breena spoke through a yawn.

"They've both got some bruises and Elphaba needed a few stitches but they're fine." Addena put her medical bag on the chair by the door and made her way over to the bed. "Glinda said to send you their love."

"That was sweet of her." Breena frowned as she started to get in. "Aren't you going to change?"

"What?"

"Your clothes." Breena nodded at her dress. "Won't you be more comfortable if you put a nightgown on?"

"I suppose." Addena sighed as she got back up and went over to her dresser. "I'm so tired right now I could sleep in anything." She quickly unzipped her dress, letting it pool at her feet before slipping out of her underwear.

"Where's the fire?" Breena grinned at her from the bed.

Addena narrowed her eyes at her. "Did you suggest I change just so you could watch?"

"Would you think less of me if I said yes?"

"You're awful!"

Breena laughed. "I really did want you to be more comfortable. But seeing you naked was definitely a bonus."

"Brat." Addena made her way to the bed again, making a show of slipping her gown over head as she went.

"You keep that up and we're going to have to change my nightgown again." Breena was all smiles as the doctor sat down next to her.

Addena put her hand on her girlfriend's blessedly cool brow. "How do you feel?"

"Not too bad. Tired," she amended.

"I bet." Addena got lost in her green eyes for a moment before bringing their lips together for a heated kiss.

"Wow." Breena was breathless as they parted. "What was that for?"

Addena shrugged. "No particular reason."

"Well in that case..." Breena pulled her down for another one.

Addena grinned once they both came up for air. "I think we better stop there."

Breena nodded in agreement. "But we'll pick up where we left off tomorrow?"

"Count on it." Addena stretched out next to the witch, nestling her head against Breena's chest.

"Are you all right?" Breena asked once she was settled.

Addena weighed her answer options carefully. She could either keep what had happened with Glinda to herself or she could share what she was feeling with the woman she loved, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bree would never mention it to Glinda unless Glinda brought it up first.

"It's Linny."

"What about her?"

"She..." Addena tried to swallow the lump in her throat but her voice still shook when she spoke again. "She has bruises from..." She faltered.

"From what?" Breena's heart hammered in her chest. "That bastard didn't..."

"No!" Addena shook her head. "He didn't. But he did manhandle her a little. She was so upset she didn't want Elphaba or I to see."

"But she let you?"

"Yes."

"And is she all right?"

Addena relaxed a little. "She seems to be."

"She didn't break down or get mad and throw things around?"

"She cried a little."

"But she's with Elly?"

"Of course."

"Then she'll work her way through it." Breena rubbed reassuring circles on her back. "Glinda's stronger than a lot of people realize."

"I know, but..." A tear made its way down her cheek.

"But you're her big sister and it upsets you to know something like that happened to her."

She nodded.

"Then let it out doc. I've got you."

Addena tried not to give in to her emotions but they got the better of her. She turned her face and cried into the witch's chest. Breena didn't say a word, just pulled her closer as she wept.

"I'm sorry." Addena spoke when she finally got a hold of herself.

"For what? Caring about your sister?"

She raised her head to look at her. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

"I have a pretty good idea, but it wouldn't hurt to show me." Breena gave a big yawn. "Tomorrow."

"You're sure?"

"My head says go for it but my body says no way."

Addena couldn't stop herself from chuckling. "I think we should listen to your body."

Breena nodded. "Me too."

"Well as long as we agree." Addena cuddled against her again.

"I never told you I loved you too a minute ago."

"That's all right, I already know. Now you better get some sleep. You're going to need all the strength you can get tomorrow." She waited for a response but none came. "Bree?" She lifted her head again, a grin spreading across her face when she saw her eyes were closed. "Good night baby."

Her grin became a smile when Breena mumbled, "Not a baby."

"You're my baby." Addena settled against her chest again, letting the steady sound of her soon to be lover's breathing lull her to sleep.


	42. Chapter 42

"_No one will be able to find you."_

"_I'm going to break in my newest sex toy."_

"_You'll change your mind once you know what it's like to be with a real man."_

Glinda's heart hammered in her chest as her eyes flew open, Eadlyn's voice still echoing through her senses. How could she have fallen asleep in the cave? You couldn't see what was coming if your eyes were closed!

"Shh."

She froze when she felt a hand on the back of her head, her stomach turning at the idea of him being close enough to touch her.

She tried to move away, shocked to feel the roughness of the clothes Mason had given her replaced by something soft. What was she wearing? A robe? Where were her clothes?!

"Glinda?"

The concerned tone didn't even register with her. She was too busy freaking out.

"It's all right, Glinda."

An arm closed around her waist, pulling her closer to the body behind her.

"I've got you."

"No!!" She lashed out, knocking the arm away as she turned over, hitting and kicking for all she was worth.

"Glinda?" It took a barely awake Elphaba a moment to register that she was under attack. "Glinda, it's me!" She tried to protect herself from the flailing blonde. "It's El..."

The rest of her word was cut off as Glinda's fist made contact with her bruised left side. She tried to suck in a breath as her battered ribs screamed in pain, causing her vision to swim.

Glinda thought about hitting him again but jumped off the bed instead, her chest heaving as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes finally focused properly and the sleep induced haze faded from her mind, allowing her to see she wasn't in the cave after all. She was in her room at Upland Manor.

A smile spread across her face as memories of the evening before filled her head. Elphaba rescued her and Cade took Eadlyn into custody. Which meant it couldn't have been Eadlyn touching her.

"Elphie?" Her heart sank as she turned back toward the bed to find the dazed green woman. "Elphie!" She hurried back to her lover. "Are you all right?"

Elphaba flinched away from her touch, causing her to groan in pain as her side protested the movement.

"Sweet Oz, what have I done?" Glinda reached for her girlfriend again.

"It's all right." Elphaba used her right hand to cradle her midsection, not wanting the blonde to feel any worse than she obviously already did.

"It most certainly is not." Glinda put her hand over the one Elphaba was using to nurse her side. "Let me see."

"I'm fine."

"I said let me see." She pushed the hand aside and quickly untied Elphaba's robe before she could protest again. She swallowed hard as she pulled it away to reveal an angry looking bruise mottling the green skin. "Please tell me I didn't do that."

"You didn't." Elphaba assured her but didn't elaborate. "It's not that bad."

Glinda gently ran her fingers over the bruise, stopping when she felt her girlfriend flinch. "I'm going to get Dena."

"No." Elphaba stopped her from moving. "You just caught me off guard. It really doesn't hurt that much."

"Liar."

"I'm serious." She was telling the truth. The initial jolt of pain had settled into a dull ache. "What happened anyway?"

"I..." Glinda felt ridiculous. How could she possibly have mistaken her Elphie for that monster? "I'll tell you if you tell me how you hurt her your side." She tried to take some of the heat off herself.

"All right." Elphaba agreed. "But you go first."

She sighed. She should have seen that one coming. "I had a bad dream."

"Are you all right?"

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Glinda wrinkled her nose as she looked at the bruise again. "I can't believe I hurt you."

"Stop apologizing. It's not like you meant to do it." Elphaba gripped her hand. "Now tell me about your dream."

"Are you sure you don't want me to get Dena? She could give you something for pain."

"Glinda."

"I know you said it doesn't hurt but..."

Elphaba sighed. "Glinda."

"She has pills that wouldn't make you too sleepy to enjoy the rest of bed day. She gave some to me once when I sprained my ankle. We were..."

"Would you stop?" She involuntarily hissed as she sat up.

"See!" Glinda pointed at her. "You're in pain, Elphie." Tears filled her eyes. "I don't want you to be in pain."

"Come here." Elphaba pulled the blonde to her, scooting back so she could rest against the headboard. "I'm fine, my love."

"Are you sure?"

She couldn't stop herself from grinning at the sniffled question. "I'm positive." She ran her fingers through curls. "Now why don't you tell me about your dream?"

Glinda cuddled closer against her. "I don't think I want to talk about."

"You don't _think_ you want to talk about it?" Elphaba mimicked her words. "It sounds to me like you need to."

"But it was stupid."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?"

"It was about him." Glinda finally gave in, pulling back to look at her lover. "And it wasn't really a dream so much as snippets of things he said to me. I was disoriented when I woke up and thought I was still in that damned cave."

"You're safe now." Elphaba wiped tears from her cheeks. "I won't let anything happen to you. I know I didn't make very good on that promise before, but..."

"How many times do I have to say none of this was your fault?"

"I'll stop blaming myself when you stop having nightmares about him."

They stared at each other for a moment before Glinda dropped her eyes to pick at imaginary lint on the comforter. "I don't want to talk about him anymore. And I really don't want to argue."

"That wasn't arguing." Elphaba countered, not wanting her to be upset. "It was bickering."

"Whatever it was, I don't want to do it anymore." Glinda tried not to wince when her eyes caught site of the discoloration on Elphie's side as she looked back up. "Your turn."

"What? Oh." Elphaba shrugged. "I told you I fell in the cave."

"You mean you got it rescuing me?" Something caught her eye as she moved to stroke the marred flesh again. Her breath caught in her throat as she pushed the robe off of Elphie's left shoulder to find another, even darker bruise starting just above Elphaba's collar bone and running from her neck to the tip of her shoulder. "Elphie!" She pulled the woman forward, shoving the robe even further away to find it ended halfway down her back. "Oh Elphie."

"It looks worse than it is."

"Then it must be bad because it looks awful." She shook her head. "You got these because of me."

"No."

"Yes."

"I fell because I'm a klutz. This had nothing to do with you, all right?" Elphaba tried to make the blonde look at her but she was too busy staring at her shoulder. "Glinda?"

"You could have been killed."

"I think that's taking it a little far."

"I don't." Glinda leaned in to get a closer look at the damage. "You wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me."

"I..." Goose bumps broke out over Elphaba's body as Glinda's warm breath caressed her skin. "I was where I wanted to be."

Her reaction wasn't lost on the blonde, who took her actions a step further and touched her lips to the tender flesh in the crook of Elphie's neck.

"Uh," Elphaba swallowed hard. "What was I saying?"

"You were trying to convince me that you didn't get hurt because of me." Glinda spoke as she continued to follow the path of the injury. "But I know better." The corner of her mouth turned up when her lover shuddered. "And I think it's incredibly sexy."

"Sexy?" Elphaba furrowed her brow. "You think bruises are sexy?"

"Not the bruises." Glinda corrected her as she finished with the shoulder. "The fact that you risked your life to save me."

Elphaba opened her mouth to say something but took in a shocked breath when dainty fingers brushed her side.

"I've had people taking care of me my whole life." Glinda explained. "They've spoiled me and coddled me and given me almost everything I could ever want."

"Almost?"

"You." Glinda stared into her eyes. "They never gave me you. And none of them ever risked their lives to save me." She placed a kiss at the corner of Elphaba's mouth. "It gives me an unbelievable rush to know you will." She moved to kiss the other side of her mouth. "That you have."

"What else was I supposed to do? I love you."

"And I love you." Glinda finally brought their lips together in a soft caress. "Let me show you how much?"

Elphaba nodded as she willingly let the blonde guide her back down to the bed, their lips connected the whole time. She had only seen Glinda like this one other time, after she used herself as a human shield to keep her safe from flying glass when they were fighting Morrible. She had been convinced the normally oversensitive blonde would break down after Bree healed her. Instead Glinda surprised her by turning into what could only be described as a vixen.

She had to admit she found it extremely sensual. It was definitely a side of Glinda most people never would have imagined existed.

"This needs to go."

Glinda pulling at her robe brought her from her thoughts. What should have been an easy enough task was made harder by the fact that half of the robe was balled up under her body thanks to Glinda pushing it aside earlier.

Elphaba pulled back from the blonde's eager lips. "Here, let me..."

"Never mind." Glinda pushed her back down on the bed when she tried to sit up. "It's not that big of a deal."

"But…"

All thought stopped for Elphaba when Glinda moved her mouth to her chest and started placing lingering kisses on her exposed breasts. She didn't even notice a pink hand reaching between her legs until she felt the welcome invasion.

"I can't find the words, Elphie. Saying I love you doesn't seem like enough."

Green hips bucked as she picked up the pace.

"You're my everything."

Elphaba's back arched.

"My whole world."

"You're... mine... too!" Elphaba drew out the last word as she started to climax. "Glinda!!"

"I've got you my love." Glinda plunged deeper.

"Oz!!" Elphaba's body shuddered as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her.

Glinda slowly brought her down, eventually pulling her hand free so she could lay down next to a panting Elphie and take her in her arms. "You're the most precious thing in the world to me."

"Give me a minute to recuperate and I'll show you how precious you are to me too."

She kissed her on the temple. "I already know."

"You got to show me, I get to show you." Elphaba craned her neck to look at her. "It's only fair."

"How can I turn down an offer like that?"

"You can't." She captured pink lips to prove her point.

Glinda ran her fingers through raven trusses as they laid in comfortable silence. She liked having Elphaba in her arms. Usually it was the other way around when they cuddled. "I didn't hurt you did I?"

"Hurt me?"

She blushed. She hadn't meant to voice that opinion out loud. But now that she had she needed an answer. "I wasn't exactly gentle."

Elphaba turned in her arms so they were facing each other. "You were perfect."

"I felt like an animal." Glinda shook her head. "I can't explain it. There's just something about knowing you're willing to put yourself in harms way for me that makes me get all..." She searched for the right word.

"Horny?"

Glinda chuckled at her response. "I guess that's a good way to put it."

Elphaba nodded. "I like it."

"What? Calling me horny or me doing what I did?"

"Both." Elphaba pulled her closer. "And your reaction is perfectly normal. Don't you remember learning about tense situations and the effects adrenaline can have on someone who has just been through one? We had to write a paper about it for psychology class at Shiz."

"Not everyone's brain is a sponge like yours. Do you remember how many papers we had to write for that class?"

"Quite a few, but they were all on fascinating subjects."

Glinda giggled. "You were such a geek."

"According to you I still am." Elphaba grinned. "Is it just me or was I incredibly loud a minute ago?"

"You were fine."

"You're sure Bree and Addena won't be pounding on the wall, telling us to shut up?"

Glinda giggled again. "No."

"Even if I do this?" Elphaba latched onto the blonde's neck as she rolled her onto her back.

"Oh." Glinda purred approvingly.

"You like that huh?" Elphaba grinned as she went back to kissing her lover. "How about this?" She untied her robe and started kissing along her collar bone.

Desire shot through her. "Love it."

Elphaba looked down at her. "And I love you."

Glinda let herself get lost in those brown eyes. "Make love to me, Elphie."

"Gladly."

She closed her eyes as green lips closed over her own, flooding her with the sense of security she'd been missing when she first woke up. She knew memories of Eadlyn and what she'd been through would be with her for a long time, but she also knew Elphie would be there to assuage her fears. There was nothing quite like the love of a good woman to put the world in perspective.

Elphaba drank in her features as she gently entered her. "You're gorgeous, Linny."

Glinda started to thank her for the compliment but was drawn into another kiss before she could. She groaned into the lip lock as Elphaba used her free hand to cup one of her breasts.

"Even covered in scrapes and bumps and bruises." Elphaba nipped at a scratch near the blonde's right ear. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, Linny."

She felt her arousal growing.

"Sometimes I wonder why you're with me."

It was getting harder and harder to concentrate on what Elphie was saying as her fingers worked their own form of magic.

"And it scares me to know how incomplete I am without you."

Her body jerked in anticipation.

"You're my destiny Glinda Upland."

And then it assaulted her senses. Sweat slicked her body as pure bliss radiated from between her legs.

"And I intend to make sure you never forget it."

"Oh Elphie!" Glinda finally found her voice again.

Elphaba masterfully drew out her orgasm, kissing her the whole time. It wasn't until she was sure her lover was completely spent that she brought her down. "I love you, Linny."

"I..." She tried to regain her composure as Elphie withdrew her hand. "Love you too."

"Bet I love you more."

"You'd lose."

Elphaba chuckled as she took the blonde in her arms. "Are you all right my love?"

"Are you kidding?" Glinda beamed. "I'm wonderful. That was amazing."

"You weren't too shabby yourself earlier."

Glinda cuddled closer against her right side, her hand going back to the bruise that had started it all. "Are you sure it doesn't hurt?"

"Positive."

"Well that's too bad."

Elphaba frowned. "I thought you said you didn't want me to be in pain."

"I don't." Glinda propped herself up on her elbow. "But if you were I would have to kiss it and make it better."

"Oh?"

Glinda nodded. "Yep."

"Well in that case it hurts like hell."

"I thought you might change your mind." Glinda grinned as she leaned down to brush her lips against the purple flesh.

Elphaba shivered at the contact. "I've come to a conclusion."

"What?"

"I love bed days."

Glinda's giggle filled the room.


	43. Chapter 43

Addena sat on the edge of the bed, emotion shining in her eyes as she stared down at Breena. It was like night and day, watching her as she slept peacefully compared to worrying over her when she was unconscious. She knew she would have a lot of opportunity to do both in the future because it wasn't in Bree's nature to stay out of trouble. Even with everything she'd been through recently that wouldn't change.

"Are you watching me sleep?"

She smiled. "What are you going to do about it if I am?"

"Tell you it's creepy." Breena grinned as she stretched and opened her eyes. "Morning."

"Good morning." Addena leaned down to give her a kiss.

"How long have you been up?"

"Not long."

Breena yawned. "I thought it was a bed day."

"It is."

"Then what are you doing out of bed?"

Addena frowned. "I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"Are you in bed?"

Breena gestured at her prone body. "What do you think?"

"Well I'm sitting right next to you."

"But you're not laying down like me."

"And that's what constitutes being in bed?"

Breena nodded.

"Then I guess I'm not."

"Well we better fix that." Breena moved lightning quick, pulling her down on top of her.

"Bree." Addena chastised her.

"What?" She voice dripped with innocence.

"That's a good way to hurt yourself. What if I landed on your leg?"

"Spoken like a true doctor." Breena chuckled at the look her girlfriend gave her. "Relax, Addy. I'm feeling a lot better."

Addena started to protest but could tell from the sparkle in those emerald eyes that Bree was telling her the truth. "That doesn't mean you have to tempt fate," she couldn't let her completely get away with what she'd done.

"Ah, come on." Breena pretended to pout.

"That won't work with me."

"Sure it will. I'm too cute to resist."

Addena couldn't stop herself from chuckling.

"See. I told you I was cute."

"You're a brat."

Breena grinned again. "It's nice to see you so relaxed."

"It's nice to see you conscious."

"Touche." Breena stared into blue eyes for a moment before bringing their lips together.

Addena liked it so much she barely waited until they came up for air to initiate an even longer kiss. Then it was Breena's turn to start another one that involved a lot of tongue action. It wasn't until the witch tried to snake her hand under the doctor's nightgown that Addena pulled back.

"Not yet."

"But..."

"You've been laying in this bed for nearly a week now, Bree. No offense, but you need a bath."

Breena brightened at the idea. "A bath? Let's go!"

"Not so fast." Addena held her down. "You can't get in the tub with that leg."

"So you're telling me I stink but I can't get in the tub?" Breena sighed when she nodded. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Let me give you a sponge bath."

"Let you give me a sponge bath." Breena scoffed. "Like that would... Wait a minute." She raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say you're going to give me a sponge bath?"

Addena grinned as she nodded again.

"Well in that case, bath away." Breena returned her grin.

"That would involve me getting off the bed."

"I think we can overlook that as a technicality. I won't tell your mom if you don't."

Addena waited a moment before saying, "I can't get up as long as you're holding me."

"Oh, sorry." Breena gave her a sheepish look as she let go.

"You're more adorable than cute." Addena pecked her on the lips.

Breena was all smiles as the doctor climbed off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom. She still couldn't believe how in love she was. Her mother had always told her it would sneak up on her when she least expected it but she never thought it would hit her like a ton of bricks. And with someone like Addy none the less. What the gorgeous blonde saw in a gawky thing like her was beyond her comprehension.

"What are you thinking about?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard Addy's voice.

"Sorry." Addena put two basins of water down on the bedside table. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's all right."

"You were a million miles away."

Breena shrugged. "Just thinking about how much I love you."

"Oh." Addena blushed at her admission. "Let's get you out of that nightshirt."

"I like it when you talk dirty to me." Breena smirked as she started to scoot off the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"You said we need to take off my clothes."

"I can handle that without you getting up." Addena pushed the hem of the shirt up to the witch's hips, relieved to see there wasn't any sign of seepage on the bandage covering her wound. "Pick up your hips for me."

"Dirty, dirty, dirty." Breena grinned as she complied.

"Would you stop?" Addena shook her head. "OK, now lift your arms."

"I could still stand up you know."

"Why? We're almost done. Now lift your arms." Addena made it sound like she was talking to a two year old.

"I just thought it might be easier." Breena did as she was told again.

Addena carefully pulled the nightshirt free, not at all surprised to find the bruises that had littered the witch's body before were gone thanks to her newly returned healing powers. She tried to convince herself she continued to stare just to make sure there weren't any injuries she was missing but her hands were itching to touch that smooth skin as a lover instead of a doctor.

"Addy?"

"Huh?"

"Who are we trying to fool here?" Breena pulled her down, crushing their lips together.

That was all the motivation Addena needed to take control. She deepened the kiss as she stretched out half on top of and half beside Bree, wrapping her left arm around the witch's waist as her right hand grasped a pert breast.

Breena groaned at the contact, wanting to return the action but finding a nightgown in the way. She somehow managed to pull back long enough to say, "Addy..." before the doctor captured her lips again. She got sidetracked for a minute before she finally managed to push away again. "Addy!"

"What's wrong?" Addena looked down at her, concern stamped on her brow. "Am I hurting you?"

"No, you're wearing too much."

"What?"

"You're wearing too much." Breena repeated herself as she started to pull the doctor's nightgown up.

Addena looked down at herself. "I guess I am, aren't I?" She helped her girlfriend pull the material over her head. "Better?"

"Much. Now where were we?"

"Right about here." Addena grinned as she moved in to kiss her again.

They both gasped as a jolt passed between them when bare skin met bare skin.

"What the hell was that?" Breena breathlessly asked.

"I have no idea." Addena answered just as breathlessly. "But I liked it."

"Me too." Breena chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Addena and pulled her close.

They took turns initiating kisses and trading tender caresses, savoring the feel of finally being together for what seemed like an eternity before Addena took it to the next step by running one of her hands up Breena's left thigh, seeking entrance.

Breena grabbed her hand. "Addy, wait."

"Am I moving too fast?"

"No."

"Good." Addena tried to kiss her but Bree moved her head.

"I've... I..."

"You what?" She moved to her neck instead, needing to kiss her in some capacity.

Breena swallowed hard. "I've never done this before."

Addena almost smiled at the admission. "You mean with a girl?"

"I mean at all."

"Oh." She continued to kiss her for a moment before realization hit her. "_Oh_."

Breena sighed. "I shouldn't have told you." She closed her eyes in frustration. "I ruined everything."

"No you didn't." Addena was quick to reassure her.

"Then why did you stop?"

"Because I was understandably shocked. I mean, from everything we've done before I just assumed you'd..." She scrunched her brow. "You know."

"But I haven't. And it freaks you out."

"No it doesn't."

Breena still looked unsure. "Swear?"

"I swear." A thought suddenly occurred to her. "Does it bother you that I have?"

"No."

"Because it was only one person." She blurted out. "I had a girlfriend in college and she's the only one I ever..."

"It doesn't matter." Breena put her finger over the lips she longed to possess again.

"But..."

"I don't care who you were with before because I know you'll only be with me from now on."

The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "Oh really?"

"You're mine and I have no intention of sharing you." Breena's tone was matter of fact. "Ever."

Addena packed all the adoration she was feeling at the moment into her lips as she touched them to Bree's. The witch responded in kind and they were soon back to what they were doing before. Their petting didn't have a chance to get too heavy before Breena guided Addy's hand to her thigh.

Addena looked down at her. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"I love you."

"Show me."

She was more than happy to comply, giving the witch another drawn out kiss as she entered her. She set a slow pace, wanting Bree's first time to be everything her own had been. Loving and gentle and meaningful. She wanted it to be perfect.

"Addy?" Breena's brow furrowed as she started to climax.

"It's all right baby. Just ride it out." She cooed as she started moving her fingers faster, not stopping until the witch groaned in pleasure. "That's it." She pushed a little harder, wanting to draw out her reaction.

Breena couldn't breathe as ecstacy shot through her body. She didn't relax again until Addena started to bring her down. By the time she was done she was panting and sweaty.

Addena laid on her side, letting the witch curl against her as she recovered. "Are you all right?"

"I'm more than all right I'm... I'm..." Breena shook her head. "I can't even find the word to describe how I'm feeling right now."

"I'm just glad you enjoyed it."

"It went so far beyond that it's not even funny." Breena laid her head on the doctor's shoulder. "I'm glad my first time was with you."

"I wish mine had been with you too."

"But then neither one of us would have known what we were doing."

Addena grinned. "I'm sure we would have muddled our way through somehow."

"You're probably right." Breena lifted her head to look at her. "Do you know what I think?"

"What?"

"We should see what I learned."

"Bree, you don't have to..."

"You just gave me something incredibly amazing, Addy. I want to make you feel the way I do right now." Breena grinned. "Besides, I want to give it a whirl."

Addena returned her grin. "If you think you're ready."

"We're about to find out." Breena rolled her onto her back. "And don't worry, I've always been a quick study."

"I'm sure you..."

Breena cut her off by bringing their mouths together for a steamy lip lock before moving her lips just below the doctor's ear, placing feather light kisses down her neck as she used her hand to cup a firm, full breast, kneading it gently.

She moved to a creamy shoulder, kissing along her collar bone until she reached the breast she was holding, replacing her hand with her lips, thrilled when Addena squirmed at the sensation. So she took her time before switching to the other breast, giving it the same attention.

For her part Addena was swimming in a mix of the desire that had built up while she was in control and a whole new level she was reaching as Bree had her way with her. The combination was driving her to an edge she had never imagined existed.

As if on cue Breena moved her hand between Addena's legs, finding her sweet spot almost immediately. She barely had a chance to start using her fingers before Addena's back arched.

"Bree!"

"I've got you." Bree tried to imitate what the doctor had done to her, hoping she was getting it right.

"Bree!" Addena called out again as her body quivered in waves of pleasure. "Oh Bree!!"

Breena resisted the urge to give herself a proverbial pat on the back for a job well done as Addy climaxed, screaming her name again at the release. She slowed her fingers, bringing her girlfriend down before taking her in her arms.

"I love you, Addy."

Addena was too busy coming off the high she had just experienced to reply so Bree pulled her closer, willing to hold her until she recuperated. It wasn't until she heard a sniffle that she realized something was wrong.

"Addy?" She shifted to get a better look at the doctor. "Hey." She cupped her cheek when she saw tears streaming down her face. "What's wrong? Was it that bad?" She didn't give her a chance to answer. "It was awful, wasn't it?"

"What? No!" Addena finally spoke.

Breena bit her lip. "I'm so sorry Addy. Maybe next time will be better. If you want there to be another time that is."

"Bree..."

"Because there doesn't have to be."

"Bree..."

"Not unless you want there to be." Breena used the hand that wasn't holding Addy to smack herself on the forehead. "What did I think I was doing? I'm a quick study," she mimicked herself.

"Stop that." Addena grabbed the hand she used to hit herself. "I wasn't crying because you were bad."

Breena looked surprised. "You weren't?"

"No."

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"No!" Addena insisted. "I was crying because…" Fresh tears filled her eyes. "Because we almost didn't get the chance to have this."

"Don't cry, Addy."

"I can't help it." She sniffled. "I hurt you Bree. I know you keep telling me I was doing it to protect you, but I know I hurt you. And as a result I almost lost you."

"But you didn't." Breena pulled her close again as she continued to cry. "I'm right here."

Addena burrowed against her, loving the feel of being in those strong arms. Several minutes later she broke the silence between them by saying, "I've never experienced anything like that."

"Is that a good thing? Because you already said I wasn't bad."

"They haven't come up with a word for how good you were."

"Really?"

"Really."

Breena smiled proudly. "Just imagine what it will be like when I get a little more experience under my belt."

Addena giggled. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"That's part of my job as your love slave."

"Love slave?"

"At your service ma'am."

Addena raised her head from the witch's chest to look at her. "In that case I think we better get in a little more practice."

Breena quirked an eyebrow. "You do?"

The doctor nodded as she slid her body up the lithe one beneath her so they were face to face. "I teach, you learn."

"And then you grade my homework?"

"Exactly."

Breena smiled as Addy kissed her, thinking how much she loved bed days.


	44. Chapter 44

The corner of Glinda's mouth turned up in a grin as she watched Elphie giving herself a once over in the mirror. Most people probably wouldn't have believed her if she told them the witch could be quite girly at times, but it was true. Just because Elphie normally masked her femininity by pulling her hair back in a no nonsense ponytail, wearing excruciatingly plain black clothes and giving off a 'nothing bothers me' attitude didn't mean it wasn't there. Glinda counted herself lucky to get to see it all the time. And she had to admit it was quite the turn on.

"Are you sure I look all right?"

"Good enough to eat," Glinda mumbled as she watched a green hand smooth an imaginary wrinkle in the top she was wearing.

"What?" Elphaba peered at her over her shoulder.

"I said you look beautiful." The blonde pushed her lustful thoughts down, knowing now was neither the time or the place to give in to them... Even if Elphie did look gorgeous in the loose fitting, silky midnight blue slacks and matching top she was wearing. She had no idea where the outfit came from but it was perfect for the green woman.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Glinda hopped off her place at the foot of the bed and went to her lover, wrapping her arms around her from behind as she studied their shared reflection. She was so caught up in how well her simple pink dress went with Elphie's clothes that she didn't notice how stiff her lover was. "Elphie, you're all tense."

"I can't help it." Elphaba sighed. "I look like I'm wearing pajamas."

"You do not."

"We're about to have breakfast with your mother and I look like I'm still dressed for bed."

"You look perfect." Glinda corrected her. "And Momsie doesn't bite, Elphie."

"I know, it's just..." Elphaba sighed. "This is the first real chance I've had to meet her when things weren't all crazy."

"And?" Glinda prompted her to keep going, knowing there was something more to what she was saying.

"What if she doesn't like me?"

Glinda was genuinely shocked to hear the words come out of her lover's mouth. "What?"

"Don't give me that look." Elphaba gruffed as she pulled away from the blonde to pace to the bed. "She's your mother, Glinda. A very important part of your life. What if she meets me and decides I'm all wrong for you?"

"You can't be serious."

"Of course I am. Just look at me." She gestured with her hands. "I'm not exactly a parent's dream come true for their child. Especially when that child is a fellow female who could have her pick of any man in Oz. You were engaged to a prince for crying out loud." She shook her head, her voice getting quieter. "And you're settling for a frog."

"Stop right there." Glinda pointed at her. "Don't you dare badmouth yourself to me Elphaba Thropp. I haven't _settled_ for anything. I love you and you love me and we're going to spend the rest of our lives together. Anyone who doesn't like that can take a flying leap."

"Even your mother?"

"Even my mother." She confirmed as she went to her lover again. "But I can tell you right now you're worrying for nothing."

Elphaba frowned. "How can you say that?"

"Because I know my mother." Glinda put her arms around her. "She only wants what's best for me and Dena. And you're the best thing that's ever happened in my life." She pulled her down for a chaste kiss. "She's going to love you."

"I hope so."

"I know so." Glinda breathed against her lips before kissing her properly.

Elphaba let the blonde set the tone as they continued to exchanged kisses. It wasn't until she felt the back of her legs hit the side of the bed that she reluctantly pulled away. "We can't, Linny. Not right now."

"Why not?" Glinda huffed.

"Because people are waiting for us." Elphaba grinned. "And it wouldn't do for either of us to show up with our clothes all wrinkled."

"Darned clothes anyway." Glinda gave the green girl a squeeze. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Much."

"But you'll still be nervous until you've spent some time with Mom."

Elphaba nodded. "I'm afraid so." She pulled the blonde closer. "But I think you can help me with that."

"How?"

"By promising to pick up with this later." Elphaba drew her into a steamy lip lock, adding, "I'm sure you know some great places for us to hide," as they parted.

"Are you propositioning me Elphie?"

"Maybe."

"Then let's go." Glinda pulled away, taking a green hand in her own before starting out of the room.

Elphaba chuckled. "What's the rush?"

"The sooner we get done the sooner we can sneak off together." Glinda gave her a mischievous grin. "And you're right about me knowing hiding places. They'll never find us." She knocked on her sister's door. "Dena?"

They heard muffled voices coming from inside the room.

"Dena?" Glinda furrowed her brow as she knocked again but still didn't get a response. "What do you think they're..."

Her question was cut off when Breena yelled, "Addy!"

Which was quickly followed by a, "Watch out!" from Addena.

"Bree?!" Elphaba threw open the door and ran into the room, her eyes going wide when she saw her sister and the doctor in a tangled heap on the floor.

"What's going on?" Glinda demanded as she followed her girlfriend inside.

"Bree, are you all right?" Addena didn't even seem to notice them standing there.

"I'm fine." Breena groused, using her good leg to kick at something beside her. "No thanks to this thing."

Glinda bent down to pick the object up. "A crutch?"

"Two of them to be precise." Breena threw the other crutch away from her too.

"Bree." Addena sighed at the action.

"Damn uncoordinated..." Breena mumbled to herself, wincing as she started to get up.

"Easy." Elphaba cautioned as she reached out to help her.

Breena pulled away from her grasp. "I can do it myself."

"She's a little frustrated." Addena explained as she followed her with her eyes.

"Here." Glinda offered her a hand.

"Thanks." Addena accepted.

"Do you blame me?" Breena growled as she finally made it to her feet. "I tried to tell you I couldn't use those things."

Elphaba stayed close to her sister, arms at the ready in case she was needed. Her mouth fell into an 'o' when Bree started to teeter as she tried to put weight on her injured leg but stopped just short of actually touching her, not wanting to upset her any more than she already was.

Addena wasn't as considerate when she grabbed her lover's arm.

"What are you doing?" Breena frowned.

"Sitting you down before you fall down." Addena cupped her cheek once she was safely seated on the bed. "Are you really all right?"

Breena nodded as she leaned into her hand. "Fine. I'm sorry I snapped like that."

"I'm sorry I knocked you off balance."

"You were only trying to help."

"And look where it got us."

"On the floor." Breena chuckled. "I wish you could have seen your face on the way down."

"It probably looked a lot like yours." Addena laughed too.

Glinda shared a look with Elphaba. "Would one of you like to tell us what was going on in here?"

"I've been trying to talk Bree into using crutches ever since we woke up. I finally convinced her to give them a try just before you two came in. She was doing great until I decided she looked a little unsteady and grabbed her arm."

"I think great is taking it a bit far." Breena disagreed.

"You were getting the hang of them." Addena persisted.

"If you say so." Breena shrugged. "I still think I can walk on my own."

"Bree, we've been over this." It was Addena's turn to sound frustrated. "You might be feeling better but your leg isn't strong enough for you to be walking on it yet."

"I went to the bathroom by myself earlier." Breena argued before looking up at Elphaba and Glinda. "Hi by the way. And sorry if that was a little too much information. You two look great. I'm going to feel undressed." She gestured at the black shorts and beige top she was wearing.

"Those shorts are perfect so don't even think about changing." Addena warned her. "And the bathroom is what, five steps from the bed?" She continued their discussion. "We're talking about going downstairs and all the way to the other side of the house to the dining room."

"I can make it."

Addena clinched her jaw. "Sometimes I could throttle you."

Breena quirked an eyebrow. "Save the dirty talk for when we're alone."

"Bree." Addena blushed. "Just say you'll give the crutches another shot so we can all get to breakfast."

"Will Bernice bring me a tray if I decide to stay here?"

Addena was too busy pinching the bridge of her nose to notice Bree was teasing. "You know what, stay here with your stupid pride. See if I care."

"Addy..."

"But don't expect me to make sure you get fed," Addena cut her off. "Because I won't. Either you use those crutches or..."

Breena grabbed the doctor, pulling her closer to shut her up with a kiss.

"Bree!" Addena quickly pushed her away.

"It was the only way to get you to be quiet." Breena grinned. "You're so cute when you're trying to make a point. And it's not like those two have never sucked face in front of us."

"Sucked face?" Glinda wrinkled her nose.

"You're not funny." Addena scowled. "I'm half tempted to take the crutches so you can't go with us."

"You wouldn't do that." Breena's green eyes shown.

"Oh really?"

"Really."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

Breena ran her hand up the doctor's arm. "You can't starve your love slave."

"Bree." Addena blushed again as she cast a glance at her sister and Elphaba.

"Love slave?" Glinda giggled. "I take it things went well between the two of you during bed day."

"It was amazing." Breena confirmed.

"Bree!" Addena blushed even harder.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of Addy." Breena looked at her sister. "I can definitely see why you went for a blonde now."

"Breena!" It was Elphaba's turn to blush.

Glinda giggled even harder. "I guess that means you know why I fell for a witch." She waggled her eyebrows at her sister.

"Linny!" Addena's face was a mask of disbelief.

"You should wear red more often. It's a great color for you." Breena teased before placing her lips against the doctor's again.

Addena wanted to pull away considering they had an audience but her body betrayed her, making her lean into the tender caress.

"Aw." Glinda gushed as she gripped Elphaba's hand, overjoyed to see her sister so happy.

"Sorry." Breena apologized to all of them once they parted. "I couldn't help myself."

"Never apologize for being in love." A new voice spoke up from the doorway. Ginny smiled as all four girls looked at her. "Good morning darlings."

"Morning Momsie." Glinda bubbled.

Addena was too busy blushing like a caught teenager to say anything.

"Hi Ginny." Breena grinned more at her lover's reaction than the sudden appearance.

Elphaba shyly avoided the older woman's gaze.

"How much of that exchange did you hear?"

"Enough to know bed day was a success." Ginny came into the room as she answered Breena's question. "I thought I should check to make sure the things I had Bernice pick up for you girls to wear were all right."

"Beige is a little outside my comfort zone." Breena used her hand to indicate the shirt she was wearing. "But these shorts are great. And Elly looks stunning."

"The color does suit her." Ginny agreed as she glanced at the witch, who still hadn't looked at her.

"Bernice always had a good eye for fashion." Glinda commented.

"But how did she know our sizes?" Breena asked.

"She didn't, I did." Ginny corrected her, adding, "You learn a few things when you raise daughters," when the witch gave her a questioning look.

"We better be getting to breakfast." Addena finally found her voice.

"You don't have anything to be embarrassed about, Addy." Breena tried to make her feel better. "All we did was kiss."

"Yeah, in front of my mother," she mumbled as she climbed off the bed to get her girlfriend's crutches.

"Well you better get used to it because I plan on kissing you in front of a lot of people."

"Bree..."

"I'm serious, Addy. You're never going to know when I might lay a wet one on you. Because I don't care what anyone thinks about us being together and neither should you."

Glinda gave her lover's hand a squeeze and whispered, "You should listen to your sister."

"Not now, Glinda." Elphaba hissed at her.

"But she's my mother, Bree." Addena shook her head. "There are just some things you don't do in front of your parents."

"Why? It's not like she's a prude or something." Breena countered.

"She's right dear, I'm not." Ginny had already picked up on the fact that her eldest and Elphaba were extremely uncomfortable and decided to try to do something about it. "Dena, let me ask you a question."

"Sure Mom." Addena fidgeted with the crutches, still mortified by what her mother had walked in on.

"I know it didn't happen very often as you got older, but when you were younger did it ever make you uncomfortable to watch your father and I kissing?"

The doctor didn't hesitate in saying, "No."

"Why not?"

"Because that's what people who are in love do."

"And do you love Breena?"

Addena looked at the woman she adored. "With all my heart."

Breena met her gaze. "Then why are you so worked up that she saw us kissing?"

"Because we're different." Addena answered.

"Why?" Breena pushed. "Because we're two women?"

"Yes." Addena's answer was barely audible.

"So if I had walked in and found you kissing a man it would have been all right?" Ginny rejoined the conversation.

"Yes. No." Addena sighed. "I don't know. I just... I don't want you thinking I'm flaunting my lifestyle choice in your face."

"I'm not an intolerant person darling." Ginny continued before her daughter could get too frustrated. "All I've ever wanted is for you and your sister to be happy. Obviously Breena and Elphaba do that."

"And you're all right with it?" Elphaba swallowed hard as she finally dared to look at Ginny. "With both of your daughters being involved with other women?"

"Of course I am. I couldn't have chosen better matches for my girls if I hand picked the two of you myself."

"Momsie." Glinda was on the verge of tears.

Breena gave her a smile. "Thanks Ginny."

"I'm just speaking the truth." Ginny turned her attention to Elphaba. "Is that why you wouldn't look at me before, Elphaba? Because you thought I wouldn't approve of you and Glinda being together?"

Elphaba bit her bottom lip. "I'm ashamed to say yes."

"And did I put your mind at ease?"

The green woman nodded.

"Good. Now come here." Ginny gestured at her. "Come on."

"Go." Glinda gave her a nudge.

Elphaba hesitantly went to the older woman. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for." Ginny pulled her into a hug. "You're one of my girls now." She looked at Breena over Elphaba's shoulder. "Both of you are."

"Just like Dad thinks of Addy and Glinda as part of his family." Breena spoke up.

"Exactly." Ginny held Elphaba at arm's length. "Now I want all four of you to promise me you won't hide your feelings for each other when I'm around. It does this old heart good to know true love really does exist."

"Old heart." Breena scoffed. "You make yourself sound ancient."

"Compared to the four of you I am." She patted Elphaba's arm before letting go of her. "Now what do you say we head down to breakfast. I don't know about you but I'm..." Her stomach growled just as she said, "starving."

Elphaba put her hand over her mouth in an attempt not to laugh. "Now I know where you get it."

Glinda rolled her eyes at her lover.

"You mean I have that to look forward to?" Breena managed to look shocked for a full second before cracking up.

"Shut up brat." Addena brought her the crutches. "Do you think you can handle them this time?"

"Just watch me." Breena took them as she stood and instantly made her way out of the room.

"Wait up!" Addena hurried after her. "You haven't tried steps yet!"

"We better help her. The last thing we need is the two of them taking a tumble down the stairs." Glinda snagged Elphaba's hand, dragging her out of the room as she followed her sister.

Ginny shook her head and chuckled, thinking how the girls were just the breath of fresh air Upland Manor needed.


	45. Chapter 45

"Be careful." Addena instructed Breena as they made their way across the main entranceway. "This floor can be slippery."

"I'm fine." Breena assured her.

"That's what you said on the stairs." Elphaba pointed out.

"Stairs schmairs." Breena belittled their concern. "I told you I could make it."

"You slid down the bannister." Elphaba reminded her.

"Right after you gave me a heart attack by almost falling." Addena added.

"I didn't almost fall. You were making me nervous, clucking at me like a mother hen. So I decided to take a quicker route. It got me down here didn't it?"

"Me too." Glinda giggled.

Elphaba shook her head. "I still can't believe you followed her."

Glinda pretended to pout. "I couldn't let her have all the fun."

"She used to do it all the time when she was little." Ginny supplied.

"Little?" Addena scoffed. "She did it last Lurlinemas."

"It was the fastest way to beat you to the presents." Glinda defended herself.

Elphaba grinned as she used their linked hands to pull the blonde closer to her side. "My little rebel."

Ginny smiled at the interaction. The green woman had been a little hesitant to take her daughter's hand once they reached the first floor but she didn't pull away when Glinda intertwined their fingers. She had a feeling Dena and Bree would have been holding hands too if Breena wasn't on crutches. As it was Addena was walking as close to the witch as she possibly could without tripping either one of them.

"So are you a shaker?"

Addena frowned at her lover's question. "What?"

"Lurlinemas presents." Breena explained. "Do you like to shake them to try to guess what's inside? If so I'll buy you something extra noisy this year."

"You don't have to buy me anything." Addena answered shyly.

"She's more of a finder anyway." Glinda threw in.

Ginny nodded. "No matter where I hid their presents when they were growing up, she would find them."

"And she can unwrap a present to see what it is and rewrap it so no one knows the difference." Glinda bubbled.

"I did that once." Addena sighed. "And it was only to get you to shut up."

"You opened your little sister's Lurlinemas presents?" Breena quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, but only because she wouldn't stop driving everyone crazy."

Ginny chuckled. "I remember that year. She was what, five?"

"Six." Addena corrected her. "And all she wanted was an Ozma doll."

"Not just any Ozma doll." Glinda interjected. "It had to be the one with a complete wardrobe."

"Of course it did." Elphaba looked at her adoringly.

"She wouldn't rest until she was sure she was getting it." Addena rolled her eyes.

"Not all of us could want a chemistry set." Glinda goaded her.

"And not all of us could whine around until everyone was ready to pull their hair out. That's why I finally unwrapped all her presents to make sure the damn doll was there."

"That was the first time she slept through the night in a week." Ginny continued to laugh. "I always wondered what caused the sudden turn around."

"There's nothing wrong with a girl knowing what she wants." Breena stuck up for the blonde.

"Thanks Bree." Glinda gave her a smile.

Elphaba gave her hand a squeeze. "So what do you want for Lurlinemas this year?"

"Nothing."

Addena did a double take when she heard her sister. "What? The queen of presents doesn't want anything?"

"I've got everything I could ever want right here." Glinda put her head on her lover's shoulder.

"Glinda I love you, but that was the mushiest thing I've ever heard." Breena made a face.

"Breena!" Lion yelled as he rushed toward them, almost knocking her off her feet as he grabbed her in a hug.

"Lion!" Addena started to pull him away.

"Take it easy." Elphaba chastised him.

"He's fine." Breena returned the embrace the best she could. "It's good to see you too big guy."

"Don't ever make me worry like that again."

Breena grinned. "I'll try not to."

He pulled back to look at her. "Are you all right now?" His eyes got big when he finally noticed her crutches. "Is your leg bothering you? Do you need me to carry you to the dining room?"

"No."

"Are you sure?" He looked at her worriedly. "I could..."

"What part of no don't you understand?" Penny asked as she joined them.

"She wasn't talking to you so but out." Lion gruffed.

"No arguing please." Glinda looked back and forth between them.

Lion hung his head. "I won't if she doesn't."

"It's nice to see you up and around." Penny smiled at Breena.

"It's nice to _be_ up and around." Breena returned her smile.

"Would you people get a move on already?" Fiyero called from the doorway of the dining room. "Some of us are hungry."

"Hold your pants on." Lion replied, earning a laugh from the females around him. He basked in their reaction for a moment before offering Elphaba and Glinda his arms. "May I?"

"We'd be honored." Elphaba answered for both of them as Glinda giggled.

Breena returned her attention to the Lioness. "Addy tells me you've been a big help."

Penny shrugged. "It seemed like the least I could do considering all you've done for me."

Breena made sure Elphaba and Glinda were out of earshot before she spoke again. "Does anyone else know everything that happened in that camp?"

"Do you mean when you..."

"Don't say it." Addena cut Penny off, adding a, "Please," when the Lioness flinched at her tone.

Ginny gave her daughter a sympathetic look. "As far as they're concerned you were hurt protecting me and that led to your fever."

"But no one knows anything more? Even Cade?"

Penny shook her head. "He was too busy fighting while you were..." She cast a glance at Addena. "When what happened happened.

"Good." Breena's shoulders relaxed. "Would you three mind if we keep it that way?" She watched Elphaba and Glinda as they chatted with Fiyero and Lion. "They've been through enough."

"Of course we will." Ginny gripped her arm. "Knowing would only upset them."

"Exactly." Breena gave her a grateful look.

"I'll do whatever you think is best." Penny assured her.

"It would be fine with me if we never talked about it again." Addena stated.

"Are you guys coming or what?" Fiyero called out again.

"Maybe if we were guys we would listen to you." Addena answered him this time. "I don't know about you three, but I'm hungry. Let's go."

Breena sighed as she watched her and Penny start toward the others.

"She'll be fine, dear." Ginny spoke so only the witch could hear her.

"I know. We've talked about what happened a few times. It's just…" She shrugged. "I hate the thought of her going through something like that. I know how I would feel if the tables were turned."

"Then you also know that you can't dwell on the past. You're here now and that's all that matters."

"You give pretty good advice." The corner of Breena's mouth turned up. "It reminds me of my mom."

Ginny beamed. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Addena stopped when she realized Penny was the only one with her. "Is everything all right back there?"

"Bree?" Elphaba turned when she heard the question.

"We're fine." Ginny replied.

"Are you sure?" Elphaba started toward them.

Glinda kept a tight grip on her hand. "She said they were fine."

"But..."

"And we're on our way." Breena interrupted her sister.

"Finally." Fiyero threw his hands in the air.

Lion shook his head. "Drama queen."

Fiyero frowned at him. "Hair ball."

"Boys." The Wizard used his fatherly tone as he came up behind Fiyero. "I think your bickering is holding up traffic."

"Sorry." Fiyero moved aside.

Elphaba smiled at her father. "Good morning Dad."

"Good morning." He pulled her and Glinda into a hug, giving them a squeeze before holding them at arm's length. "You both look beautiful this morning. All that sleep you got during bed day really agrees with you."

"Like sleep caused that glow." Breena chimed in as she and Ginny finally reached everyone else.

"Bree." Addena smacked her on the arm.

"What?" She did her best to look innocent. "I didn't say anything about you glowing did I?"

Addena blushed as Elphaba shook her head and Glinda tried not to laugh.

"There's no point in trying to tame her, Addena." The Wizard smiled fondly as he switched his attention to the other couple.

"Yeah." Breena thought about what he'd just said. "Hey, wait a minute. Are you saying I'm a lost cause?"

"No, he's saying if it's not broke don't fix it." Glinda helped out. "We all love you just the way you are."

"She took the words right out of my mouth." The Wizard pulled Breena and Addena into his arms for a hug before releasing them to gesture toward the table. "We better get started. Everything is getting cold."

"Well we can't have that." Fiyero hurried over to the table, barely sitting down before he started filling his plate.

"Always the gentleman, right Fiyero?" Glinda teased as Elphaba pulled a chair out for her.

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm hungry before you'll believe me?" He spoke around a bite of toast.

"Yero, that's disgusting." Elphaba made a face at being able to see the food in his mouth.

"What?" Fiyero looked confused.

"Makes me glad I have daughters," The Wizard mumbled as he offered Ginny his arm to see her to her seat.

Ginny chuckled. "Me too."

"Penny." Lion bowed at the waist as he held a chair for her.

"Uh, thanks." The Lioness blushed a little as she sat down.

"I've got it." Addena spoke as Breena reached for a chair.

"But everyone else…"

"They're not on crutches are they?" Addena helped her sit down before taking the crutches in question and leaning them against the wall behind them. She whispered, "You can make it up to me later," in the witch's ear as she sat down next to her.

"Where are the Captain and your young lady?" Ginny asked as she sat at the end of the table between her daughters.

"Hey." Lion kicked Fiyero under the table to get his attention. "She's talking to you."

"She is?" Fiyero frowned as he looked at Ginny. "You were?"

"She asked where Maeve is." Breena explained.

"How am I supposed to know?" He shrugged as he went back to eating.

"They had a tiff this earlier." Lion stage whispered to Ginny behind his paw.

"We didn't have anything earlier." Fiyero disagreed. "It's not like we're a couple or something."

"Relax Yero." Elphaba, who was sitting next to him, put a calming hand on his arm. "No one said you were."

"I think they are." Lion piped in.

"Not now Lion." Breena warned him.

"Well I know where Cade is." The Wizard took the seat at the other end of the table. "He's getting his men ready to go back to the Emerald City. We're heading out as soon as breakfast is over."

"We?" Elphaba frowned.

"You're leaving?" Breena asked at the same time.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I have to get back girls. Oz can't run itself." He pursed his lips. "But I want you two to stay here until you're completely recuperated. If that's all right with Mrs. Upland?"

"I've told you to call me Ginny." She scolded him. "And the girls are more than welcome to stay as long as they'd like."

"Thank you. I know they'll be in excellent hands." The Wizard gave her a smile. "But I did have some business I'd like to discuss before I leave."

"Business?" Breena frowned as Addena put some scrambled eggs on her plate.

"Concerning Addena."

"Me?" Addena frowned.

He nodded. "You see, I've been thinking of hiring a physician to see to the needs of the ruling family."

"What? Why?" Elphaba swallowed hard. "Are you sick?"

"No, no." The Wizard shook his head. "It just seems like we've needed a doctor's services a lot more since I found out about you two."

Fiyero snorted. "Isn't that the truth." He started to laugh until he realized Glinda was glaring at him.

"So what? You want me to make some suggestions as to who you should hire?" Addena looked confused. "I haven't really kept in touch with a lot of people I went to medical school with."

"Actually I was going to offer you the job."

Breena choked on a sip of orange juice. "What?"

Addena rubbed the witch's back as she coughed. "Are you serious?"

"Completely. The Gale Force has their own doctors so you would only look after the girls and I. Of course you could consult with them or anyone else you wanted to for that matter. But I thought…"

"Yes." Addena cut him off.

"Yes what?" The Wizard looked confused.

She grinned. "Yes I'll take the job."

"Really?"

Addena nodded. "Really."

"Well then." The Wizard stood to offer her his hand. "Welcome aboard."

"Wait a minute." Breena grabbed Addena's hand as she reached for his. "Addy, are you sure about this?"

The question caught the doctor off guard. "What is there not to be sure of?"

"This is awfully sudden. I just don't want you to feel like you have to accept because we're together."

"I don't."

"Are you sure?" Breena tightened her grip. "Because you know I would live wherever you wanted to practice. If you want to work in a hospital or open your own office or travel halfway across Oz in the Doctors Without Borders program. Wherever you want to go, I'll be there."

Glinda blinked back tears. "That's so sweet."

"I'm not trying to be sweet. I just…"

"Stop." Addena put her other hand over their joined ones. "You're taking yourself out of the equation, Bree. Yes you are." She answered before her lover could even think about speaking. "You need to be with Elphaba to study the Grimmerie."

"I could…"

"You could be quiet and let me finish." Addena tone wasn't harsh as she stared into emerald eyes. "I know it won't take you two forever to learn what you need to learn from Yackle but your magic feeds off of Elphaba's and vice versa. The two of you need to be together."

"But that's not fair to you." Elphaba interjected.

Addena shook her head. "I should have known you'd side with her."

"They're just trying to keep your best interest at heart dear." Ginny stepped in.

"But taking this job _is_ my best interest. Don't you see? I can be with you all the time, Bree. No long shifts or late nights spent with patients to worry about. Not to mention the fact I'll have time to reconnect with Linny too. And Oz only knows life is anything but boring with you and Elly. Like Fiyero pointed out, I'll have plenty of chances to put my skills to good use."

"So you're not taking this job just because of me?" Breena asked.

"No, I'm taking it for us." Addena gave her hand a squeeze before letting go to offer her right hand to the Wizard. "I think it's safe to welcome me aboard now."

The Wizard was all smiles. "You're a very smart girl, Addena Upland."

"Thanks." She smiled. "Now, can I hire any staff I might need?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Of course."

"Good. Penny," she turned toward the Lioness, "how would you like to be my nurse?"

"Your…" Penny was understandably shocked. "Your nurse?"

Addena nodded. "You know more about medicine than you give yourself credit for. And what you don't know I can teach you. You did an amazing job helping me with Bree."

The Lioness was stunned. "I…"

"And please don't take this the wrong way, but you don't seem overly anxious to get back to your village." Addena continued.

"Your right." Penny's eyes were downcast. "There's not much for me there."

"Then take the job." Breena, who was sitting between the Lioness and Addena, put her hand on a furry arm. "We've got plenty of room for you in our family."

"Are you sure?" She still sounded hesitant.

"Positive." Addena replied.

A grin spread across the Lioness' face. "Then I guess I have a new job."

"That's great." Lion congratulated her. "Now we can get to know each other better." He suddenly blushed. "I mean if you want to. We wouldn't have to or anything. Just because you're a Lioness and I'm a Lion doesn't mean we have to..."

Penny blushed too. "I'd like that."

"Aw." Glinda gushed, slipping her hand into Elphaba's.

Breena had an 'I'm sorry' expression on her face as she turned to her father. "I didn't mean to seem like I was second guessing you Dad."

"You were looking out for the woman you love." The Wizard gave an approving nod. "I would expect nothing less." He cast a glance at Elphaba. "From either of you."

Breena grinned as she went back to eating, the room falling into a comfortable silence as everyone else followed suit. Before long most of their plates were clean and a couple of small conversations broke out around the table.

"I really must be going." The Wizard pushed himself away from the table and stood.

"Do you have to?" Glinda practically whined. She never thought with their shared history that she would be sad to see the Wizard go but she was.

He nodded. "I think I've kept Cade waiting long enough."

"Then the least we can do is see you out." Breena turned to reach for her crutches.

"Don't be ridiculous. Stay here and…"

"It's not nice to call your daughter ridiculous." Breena cut him off.

"I… I didn't…"

"She was joking Dad." Elphaba kept him from stammering out the rest of his reply.

"Oh." The Wizard looked relieved.

"And we insist on walking out with you." Glinda spoke as she stood too.

"Oh, well if you insist." The Wizard raised his eyebrows. "Who could turn down such a beautiful escort?"

Breena shook her head as she stood and situated her crutches under her arms. "You're a real charmer Dad."

"Are you coming too Mom?" Addena asked as she kept a close eye on what Breena was doing.

"I wouldn't be much of a hostess if I didn't." Ginny replied.

"Bye." Fiyero spoke around yet another bite of food.

"We'll stay here and keep him company." Penny volunteered.

"Yeah, someone has to make sure he doesn't eat the table." Lion joked.

"Ha ha." Fiyero growled at him. "I bet I can eat pancakes faster than you."

"You're on." Lion forked some more food onto his plate.

"I'll make sure the maturity twins don't choke." Penny nodded toward the boys.

"Good luck with that." Breena quipped as they left the room.

Elphaba shook her head as they made their way to the front door. "I don't know how Yero can go from being so calm and cool during the search to acting like a two year old."

"He's a man." Addena answered. "People have been trying to figure them out for centuries."

"We're not all bad." The Wizard commented.

"They're just blowing off steam." Ginny came to their defense. "Let them have their fun."

"You're right." Elphaba sighed. "I just hope no one ends up getting stabbed with a fork."

Glinda giggled.

"You really don't have to come outside." The Wizard spoke as he opened the door.

"On the contrary…"

They all jumped when they heard the new voice coming from the now open doorway.

"You definitely need to come outside."

"Gregor?" Glinda jaw nearly hit the floor. "But I thought you were…"

"What? Dead? Well surprise, I'm not." He moved quickly, grabbing the Wizard and planting the gun in his hand against the older man's temple. "Don't any of you try anything stupid or he gets it." He slowly started to back out of the doorway.

The girls did the only thing they could. They followed.


	46. Chapter 46

The Wizard never saw it coming. He was too busy staring at the mountain of a man blocking the doorway to even realize that Glinda was saying anything. He had no idea who this man was, but he knew his being there wasn't a good thing. Then one beefy hand gripped his arm and the next thing he knew he was being pulled against the huge body. It took another moment for him to realize the pressure he felt against his temple was the cool tip of the barrel of a gun.

"Don't any of you try anything stupid or he gets it."

His mouth went dry at the statement. The fear in his daughters' eyes didn't do anything to assuage the dread bubbling in his stomach. And he didn't get a chance to try to give them a reassuring look before the man started moving, making him trip over his own feet. If it wasn't for the incredibly strong arm around him he would have fallen.

"Hey!" Gregor growled a warning in his ear.

"He tripped." Ginny spoke as she and the girls stepped outside. "Who could blame him the way you're manhandling him?"

Gregor moved the gun long enough to gesture at her with it. "No one asked you."

"Momsie." Glinda gripped her mother's arm, begging her not to antagonize him.

Elphaba locked eyes with Breena, silently asking her what they should do.

"You." Gregor spoke before the sister's could communicate anything to one another. "The green freak." He gestured with the gun again. "Get over there by yourself."

"She's not a freak!" Glinda snapped.

"It's all right." Elphaba spoke up before she could get too upset.

"I'll call her whatever I damn well please." Gregor taunted Glinda before returning his attention to Elphaba. "Now get moving freak."

Addena put her hand on her sister's shoulder when she saw her clinching her jaw to keep from responding. "Why?"

Gregor frowned at her. "Why what?"

"Why does she have to be by herself?" Breena voiced the question she knew her girlfriend was asking.

"Because I said so!" Gregor yelled.

"What if she doesn't?" Breena persisted.

Gregor chuckled. "Are you kidding me?" He pushed the gun against the Wizard's temple, forcing him to wince.

"I'm going." Elphaba held her hands out in front of her as she moved away from the others.

"Elphie?" Glinda started to follow her.

"Stay where you are!" Gregor stopped her.

"What about the rest of us?" Ginny asked.

"You three aren't a threat." Gregor smirked as he looked at Breena. "And neither are you with that potion in your system."

"Put down the gun and we'll see who's not a threat." Breena growled.

"Only if you get rid of the crutches."

"Bree, don't." Addena begged when her girlfriend started to do what he suggested.

"Yeah Bree," Gregor mocked. "You better listen to Addy."

Breena started toward him. "Don't call her that!"

"Ignore him, Breena." Ginny stepped in front of the witch, whispering, "You need to keep a cool head if you're going to be able to help your father."

Gregor frowned at them. "Why are you whispering to her?"

"Because she's too nice to say she thinks you're ugly and your mother dresses you funny." Breena replied, giving Ginny a nod to let her know she heard her loud and clear.

"What was that?" Gregor pointed the gun at Elphaba. "Are you casting some kind of spell?!"

"She didn't do anything!" Glinda screeched.

"You're hearing things." Addena raised her eyebrows when he leveled her with a glare. "All I'm saying is we all need to calm down."

"You're right." Gregor agreed. "We've come to far for me to lose it now."

"We?" Breena questioned his use of words.

"Do you honestly think I'm here by myself?" He looked at her like she was crazy.

"I hope you brought enough men to handle all the Gale Force guards." Ginny challenged him.

"They've already been dealt with." He smirked again.

"What do you mean?" The thought of his troops being harmed in any way helped the Wizard finally find his voice. "How were they dealt with?"

"You killed them didn't you?" Glinda was appalled.

"No." Gregor shook his head. "I might be a lot of things but I'm not a murderer."

Breena scoffed. "Yeah right."

"I'm not!" He defended himself.

"I was in your little camp remember?" Breena growled.

"Those were Animals, not people." Gregor stated.

"You say that like Animals don't matter." Elphaba sounded disgusted.

Gregor shrugged. "That's because they don't."

"What about the girl you killed?"

Addena's head snapped around to look at her sister. "What?"

"What?" Gregor echoed her question.

"Eadlyn told me all about it." Glinda glared at him. "You killed her in cold blood and then ran away."

"It was an accident."

"I'm sure it was." Breena's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"It was!" Gregor tightened his grip on the Wizard. "And I didn't kill any guards. All we did was slip some sleep potion into their breakfast food. They're napping like babies." The hand holding the gun was visibly shaking. "But no one is dead!"

"Why don't you tell us what you want." Addena tried to be the voice of reason again.

"Isn't it obvious?" Gregor waited, sighing when no one answered. "Eadlyn! We want Eadlyn!"

"You'll never get him." The Wizard spoke up again.

"Oh yeah old man?" Gregor pushed the gun harder against his temple. "We'll just see about that."

"You keep saying 'we' but so far you're the only one we've seen." Breena drew his attention again.

"Keep a close eye on him men."

As if on cue Cade's voice could be heard as he lead a small group of Gale Force guards and a still shackled Eadlyn out of a nearby stable.

"How fitting is it that they were keeping him in a stable?" Breena commented. "Since he's such a big Animal lover and all."

"Shut up." Gregor growled at her.

Cade frowned when he noticed them. "What..."

He didn't even get a chance to finish his question before a handful of men came rushing at them from all directions.

Gregor grinned. "I told you I wasn't alone."

The guards reacted, raising their weapons and forming a circle around Cade and Eadlyn as the other men surrounded them.

"Hold steady." Cade encouraged them.

"Call them off." Gregor gave the Wizard a half second to respond before yelling, "I said call them off!"

"No." The Wizard shook his head.

"Do it!!"

"No!" The Wizard stood his ground.

"I said do it!" Gregor moved the gun to point it at Breena.

"Bree." Elphaba instinctively took a half step toward her sister.

"She can't exactly get away can she?" Gregor spoke through clinched teeth.

Addena, Glinda and Ginny wasted no time in moving as one to form a wall in front of the injured witch.

"What are you three doing?" Breena hissed at them. "Move before one of you gets hurt."

"Shut up and stay back there." Addena snapped.

"What is this, the revolt of the blondes?" Gregor grumbled at them. "Too bad there's no one to protect her." He aimed the gun at Elphaba instead.

"Don't give in to him." Elphaba instructed her father.

"Do it!" Gregor fired a shot at Elphaba.

"Elphie!" Glinda's voice was full of concern for her lover.

"Elphaba!" The Wizard called out to his daughter.

"Elly?" Breena nudged her way between Ginny and Addena so she could see what was going on.

"Sir?!" Cade called out to the Wizard.

For her part Elphaba barely flinched as the bullet dug into the ground at her feet. But she did have to swallow hard to wet her dry throat before she spoke again, her eyes on her father. "You can't let Eadlyn get away with what he's done."

"I won't risk your life for his." Was the Wizard's steely response. "Cade! These men are here to rescue Eadlyn!"

"We won't let that happen sir!" Cade replied.

"On the contrary," Gregor mumbled under his breath with a triumphant grin before prodding his hostage. "Finish it."

The Wizard took a deep breath. "I want you to tell your men to drop their weapons and..." He clinched his jaw, hating what he was about to do. "And let him go!"

"But..."

"That's an order!" The Wizard added.

"You heard the man." Eadlyn was all smiles as he held his wrists out toward Cade. "And I wouldn't tempt my friend over there by going against orders if I were you." He nodded toward the others. "He has an itchy trigger finger."

"Sir?" One of the guards turned ever so slightly to give Cade a questioning look.

"What should we do?" Another asked.

"You should do as he said and let me go." Eadlyn suggested.

Cade was too busy weighing his options to answer.

"What's taking so long?!" Gregor asked.

"The captain is having a battle of wills with himself." Eadlyn answered.

"Tell him to let him go." Gregor fired another shot at Elphaba. "Tell him!"

"Cade, do as he says! Please!" The Wizard fought to keep the tremor out of his voice as his daughters glared at Gregor. If looks could kill he wouldn't be a problem anymore. But they wouldn't risk using their magic as long as Gregor was holding a gun on him. And he couldn't stand the thought of anything happening to either of them. "He's shooting at Elphaba, Cade! Let him go!!"

Cade's decision had been made for him. "Put your weapons down."

"Sir?" One of the guards asked.

"You heard me!" Cade commanded as he threw his own side arm on the ground. "Drop your weapons!"

The guards complied. The other men barely waited for their guns to hit the ground before picking them up and shepherding their new prisoners together.

"Come on, Captain." Eadlyn rattled the chains on his arms. "I know you have the key."

"Get moving." Another man prodded Cade in the back with his rifle.

"Don't touch me." Cade growled as he pulled the key out of his pocket.

"Or you'll do what?" The man poked him again.

"Stop that." Eadlyn gave him a look. "If you accidently shoot him at this range the bullet could go through him and hit me. And that wouldn't make me very happy."

The man hung his head, muttering, "Sorry sir," before taking a couple of steps away.

Eadlyn shook his head. "Good help is so hard to find."

"There's nothing good about any of you." Cade growled as he unlocked the cuffs.

"Good is overrated if you ask me." Eadlyn rubbed his wrists where the shackles had been.

Cade watched him with a disgusted expression. "You're free. Why don't you just go?"

"Because I have some unfinished business. Starting with this." Eadlyn threw a right hook, letting his fist connect with Cade's chin.

The blow took Cade by surprise, lifting him off his feet for a moment before he landed painfully on his back.

Eadlyn grinned down at him. "I've been wanting to do that since you took me into custody you smug bastard." He nodded toward the man he had reprimanded. "Bring him along. I'd hate for him to miss what I have planned for his friends."

The man complied, dragging a still stunned Cade to his feet and frog marching him over to the others.

"It's good to see you Gregor." Eadlyn spoke as he walked toward them. "I knew Mason was full of it when he said you were dead."

Gregor shrugged as he finally moved the gun from the Wizard's head, giving him a shove in Elphaba's general direction. "He wasn't far off." He pointed at the bandage on his head. "I got shot in that stupid camp."

"Is that why you didn't show up at the cave?" Eadlyn motioned for a couple of his men to keep an eye on the Wizard and Elphaba.

Gregor nodded. "I was pretty out of it for a couple of days."

"I guess I can forgive you for taking so long to come get me then." Eadlyn beamed at him. "Come here you."

Breena rolled her eyes as they hugged. "Get a room."

"Well, well, well. Look who's still with us. What's with the crutches? Don't tell me my men were too much for you."

"Leave her alone." Addena chastised him.

"Ah, my lovely bride to be." Eadlyn walked over to her, cupping her cheek. "I'm glad to see nothing happened to you."

"Get your hands off her!" Breena reached for his arm but Glinda beat her to it.

"Don't touch her!" The petite blonde shoved his hand away.

"And Glinda." Eadlyn gave her an appreciative once over. "Nice to see you haven't lost any of that fire."

"Don't even look at her!" Elphaba started toward them only to be stop when one of the men guarding her stepped in her path.

"Now, now Elphaba. Don't do anything stupid." Eadlyn cautioned her as he discreetly nodded at another of his men. "Sorry Breena, but I'm afraid it's time for you to join them."

Before Breena could react a man grabbed her by the back of her shirt, forcing her to lose her crutches as he drug her to her father and sister.

"Stop that!" The Wizard snapped as he shoved the man aside to help Breena regain her balance.

"Are you all right?" Elphaba helped too.

"Better than he'll be when I get done with him." Breena glared at Eadlyn.

Gregor stepped up close to Eadlyn. "Why are you still playing with these people? Don't you think we should be getting out of here?"

"In good time." Eadlyn assured him. "I want to take the Uplands with us."

"What?" Ginny's mouth popped open.

"You've got to be kidding." Gregor had a similar reaction.

"Far from it." Eadlyn went back to alternately staring between Addena and Glinda. "Addy here is going to be my bride. And Glinda..." He smirked. "Let's just say she's going to see to my needs."

"You're insane." Ginny scoffed. "They're never going to go with you willingly."

"They will if I have you to lord over their heads." Eadlyn nodded triumphantly. "I've seen what they'll do to keep their beloved momsie safe."

"We won't let you get away with this." Elphaba hissed.

"I thought you might say something like that." Eadlyn gestured with his hand as he paced away from the blondes, a couple of his men instantly moving into place to train their guns on them. "That's why I'm going to have to kill you." He raised his voice when everyone reacted at once. "I can't have you following us! It would ruin all my fun!"

"Eadlyn," Gregor took him by the arm, pulling him aside. "Don't you think you're playing with fire here?"

Eadlyn furrowed his brow. "What do you mean?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, that's the Wicked Witch of the West over there."

"And?"

"And she could turn you into a toad in the blink of an eye!"

"I don't think so." Eadlyn chuckled. "Because she knows if she uses her magic someone else will pay. And you wouldn't want that to happen, would you Elphaba?"

The green witch glared darts at him.

"Of course the Uplands will have to watch them die, otherwise they might think one of them will come along to save them." Eadlyn continued to verbalize his plans. "You have no idea how sickening it was to watch Glinda mooning over Elphaba in that cave when she thought she was dead. It made me want to throw up."

"You won't get away with this." Breena threatened.

"Maybe if you still had your powers I would be intimidated, but you don't." Eadlyn smiled. "Just think of yourself as a Horse. You have a bum leg and we're going to have to put you down." He looked at the men guarding the witches and the Wizard. "Shoot them."

"NO!" Addena screamed.

"Agito!"

The spell hit Eadlyn in the chest, knocking him off his feet and throwing him several feet away. He laid still for a moment before slowly propping himself up on his elbows. "Who did that?"

"I did!" Glinda declared.

"Right." Eadlyn doubted her as he started to climb to his feet.

"Agito!" The blonde repeated the spell, knocking him down again.

"You can do magic too?!" Gregor looked at her in awe.

"Of course I can." Glinda smiled smugly. "And so can my mother and my sister."

"What the hell are you doing Glinda?" Addena asked.

"I'm showing him what he's getting himself into."

"No, what you're doing is forcing me to have a change of heart." Eadlyn disagreed as he started to stand again. "Shoot her Gregor."

"What?" His friend looked at him in disbelief.

"I said shoot her!" Eadlyn repeated himself. "She's more trouble than she's worth. And I can more than entertain myself with Addy and her mother."

"I..." Gregor's voice shook.

"Just do it!" Eadlyn snapped at him.

Gregor swallowed hard as he raised the gun in his hand to point it at Glinda.

"No!" Elphaba and Addena's voices merged but Eadlyn's men moved in to keep them under control.

"Conicio!" Elphaba tossed the one in front of her aside.

"Get out of my way!" Addena decked the one holding her back.

But before either of them could make a move to get to Glinda the gun in Gregor's hand suddenly exploded. He screamed in agony, clutching what was left of his hand to his body as he sank to his knees.

"What the hell just happened?!" One of the other men shouted.

"I don't know but I'm not sticking around to find out!" Another replied.

"Stay where you are!" Eadlyn commanded. "I was trying to be fair. I really was." He had a pronounced limp as he walked back toward them. "But I can see that's not going to be possible. Kill them all!"

"What?" One of his men questioned.

"I said to kill them all! How hard is that to understand?!" Eadlyn was livid as he ripped the gun from one of his men's hands. "Like this!" He pointed the gun at Addena. "Now shoot them!"

"Abeo!"

"Contego!"

Those were the only words that could be heard as shots were fired and all hell broke loose.


	47. Chapter 47

His jaw hurt like hell from being sucker punched and there was a man behind him aiming a gun at the middle of his back but that didn't change the fact that he was the Captain of the Gale Force Guard. When he took the job he accepted the responsibility to protect the ruling family. And was he doing that right now? No, he was standing there listening to some egotistical maniac spout off at the mouth about how he wanted to kill Breena, Elphaba and the Wizard and then run off with the Upland women.

"Shoot them."

His hands curled into fists at his sides as Eadlyn gave the order, his conscience screaming at him to do something.

"Agito!"

Eadlyn flying through the air and landing on his back with an audible thud shut his conscience up for a moment. He was hoping Eadlyn would stay down but he was propping himself up on his elbows all too soon.

"Who did that?"

He expected Breena to answer considering she was the most comfortable with her magic and had proven to be a bit of a hot head when it came to keeping those she cared for safe. That's why he was shocked to hear Glinda defiantly say, "I did!"

He was even more shocked when Eadlyn doubted her and the blonde repeated the spell, knocking him down again.

To say he was impressed was putting it mildly. When he watched her in action as Glinda the Good he thought she leaned too heavily on diplomacy, making her look weak. There was never any fire or passion in her actions. Right now there were practically flames shooting from her eyes as she stared Eadlyn down. It made him wonder if he really knew the blonde at all.

"I said shoot her! She's more trouble than she's worth."

Eadlyn's words pulled him from his thoughts.

"I..." Gregor stammered.

"Just do it!"

For a moment he thought Gregor might stand up to Eadlyn and refuse to listen to him but then the gun was raised in an extremely unsteady hand. He was vaguely aware of Elphaba and Addena yelling but his conscience made another appearance, demanding that he come up with a plan to save Glinda. Before any of them could make good on their intentions the gun exploded. It literally blew apart right there in Gregor's hand, taking the majority of his appendage with it.

Gregor's anguished cries as he sank to his knees made the other men understandably jumpy. And it pissed Eadlyn off.

"Stay where you are!" Eadlyn bellowed at his men. "I was trying to be fair. I really was. But I can see that's not going to be possible. Kill them all!"

The new order caught him off guard. He knew Eadlyn was crazy but he didn't think he would tell his men to kill everyone. That took him beyond crazy and straight into insane.

"Like this!"

He looked up in time to see Eadlyn pointing a gun at Addena.

"Now shoot them!"

And that's when his conscience finally set him in motion. He turned quickly, knocking the gun aside with one hand as he used the other to deck the man holding it, yanking the weapon away as the man slumped to the ground. He brought the gun up, pointing it at Eadlyn and hoping his aim would hold true before it was too late as he pulled the trigger.

* * *

She was in shock. That was the only way to describe it. And who wouldn't be? One minute she's having a nice breakfast with her friends and family and the next some man is demanding the release of the monster that made her girls' lives a living hell.

How she managed to keep the all consuming panic that was paralyzing her now at bay for as long as she did was beyond her. Maybe it was because she knew Elphaba and Breena were powerful and assumed they would somehow get everyone out of the situation. Or maybe she thought Gregor was exaggerating when he said he took care of all of the Gale Force guards and hoped some of them would come charging out to see what was going on when he fired the warning shots at Elphaba. Or maybe, on some level, she thought this whole thing was nothing but a nightmare she would wake up from to find everyone still safely tucked away in their bed.

But she was pretty sure it was the sight of Gregor pointing a gun at her baby girl that finally pushed away her resolve and let the panic take over.

An involuntary squeak of dread escaped her throat as Gregor's finger started to pull the trigger. She was going to stand right there, not three feet away from her daughter, and watch her be killed.

And then the gun exploded.

At first she thought he shot Glinda but before she could descend into a full blown panic attack she saw him sink to his knees, clutching what could only be described as a bloody stump to his body. She stared at him in awe, wondering what happened until she heard a shocked gasp coming from Glinda. Thinking that maybe her youngest had been hurt after all she turned toward her quickly, not realizing what was wrong until she finally followed the path of her daughter's gaze. What she saw when she did brought the panic back tenfold.

Eadlyn was holding on gun on Addena, a sick smile spreading across his face as he told his men, "Now shoot them!"

She barely had a chance to comprehend that he meant for his men to shoot everyone before the bullets started flying.

All she could do was close her eyes and pray for a miracle.

* * *

"I said shoot her!"

_Shoot her... shoot her..._

The words rang through his head as he watched the scene unfold before him.

"I..."

"Just do it!" Eadlyn growled.

He didn't know what got into Glinda. All she did by using the spell on Eadlyn was make him angry. Not that he wasn't grateful for the temporary reprieve from worrying about being shot. But he would much rather take a bullet than let something happen to the blonde. He wasn't sure how Elphaba would cope if anything happened to her lover.

"Conicio!"

He flinched as Elphaba's spell flattened the man in front of her. Addena's fist had a similar effect on the man trying to keep her from her sister as Gregor raised the gun and pointed it at Glinda. He started to grab Breena's arm, afraid she would try to join the fray too, but what felt like a blast of electricity knocked his hand away before he could touch her.

Gregor's gun exploded a split second later.

His eyes went wide as he stared at Breena. She hadn't uttered a sound or so much as lifted a finger but he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt the same force that shoved his hand away was what caused Gregor's gun to explode. And it came from his little girl.

"Stay where you are!"

Eadlyn's command drew his attention back to what was happening around him. The men who came to save Eadlyn looked terrified as Gregor curled into a ball on the ground, his injured hand held tight against his body in an attempt to ease his pain. If it was anyone else he might have felt sorry for them, but as far as he was concerned the bastard was getting what he deserved for taking pot shots at Elphaba.

"Kill them all!"

The words sent a chill down his spine.

"What?"

"I said kill them all! How hard is that to understand?! Like this!"

His heart dropped to his toes as Eadlyn ripped a gun from one man's grasp and pointed it at Addena.

"Now shoot them all!"

What could only be described as fatherly instincts kicked in as he moved to put himself between the men with weapons and his daughters, determined to keep them safe.

Shots rang out just as he tackled them both to the ground.

* * *

Her mouth went dry the instant she cast the spell. Not with fear about what she had done but in anticipation of what would happen next. She felt the weight of Elphie's stare but kept her eyes on Eadlyn, hoping her effort had been enough to keep him down for a little while.

"Who did that?"

She sighed as he started to get up. "I did!"

"Right."

His condescending tone was all it took for, "Agito!" to fly from her lips again.

"You can do magic too?!"

"Of course I can!" She couldn't stop a smug smile from spreading across her face. She could practically feel his fear. "And so can my mother and my sister," she added in an attempt to intimidate the other men as well.

"What the hell are you doing Glinda?"

"I'm showing him what he's getting himself into." She decided to lay it on thick.

"No, what you're doing is forcing me to have a change of heart."

Why didn't she like the sound of that?

"Shoot her Gregor."

Her head spun at the prospect. She knew Eadlyn was still talking but she couldn't concentrate on what he was saying. She was too busy watching Gregor's gun hand, swallowing hard as he started to raise it toward her.

"No!" Elphie and Dena yelled at the same time.

But she still couldn't take her eyes off of Gregor. He was going to do it. He was actually going to pull the trigger and end her life.

Instead the gun exploded, taking Gregor's hand with it. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the carnage as he fell to his knees, his pain filled screams splitting the otherwise silent air. He didn't stay upright very long before curling into a ball on his side, keening like a wounded animal.

"Kill them all!"

That got her attention.

"What?"

"I said kill them all! How hard is that to understand?!"

She couldn't stop the shocked gasp that exploded from her mouth as Eadlyn took one of his men's guns and pointed it at her sister.

"Now shoot them!"

She didn't even have a chance to breathe before bullets started flying.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing Glinda?"

The question left her mouth before she had a chance to stop it.

"I'm showing him what he's getting himself into," was her little sister's flip response.

"No, what you're doing is forcing me to have a change of heart. Shoot her Gregor."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. That bastard was actually ordering Gregor to kill Glinda!

"Just do it!"

A sick feeling swelled in her stomach as Gregor obeyed Eadlyn's order, lifting the gun in an extremely unsteady hand and pointing it at her sister.

"No!" She tried to move, tried to protect her, but another man with a gun stepped in her path. "Get out of my way!" She made quick work of him with her fist.

But before she could even think of taking another step toward her sister, Gregor's hand exploded. At least that was the first thought that registered as she watched flesh and bone being destroyed but somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it was actually the gun that caused the damage.

Her doctor's instincts almost overrode her loathing for the man who had been threatening her sister as Gregor first sank to his knees and then curled into a ball on his side, screaming in pain the entire time. Almost, but not quite.

"Kill them all!"

Her head snapped up when she heard Eadlyn's angry edict.

"I said kill them all!" He bellowed again as one of his men questioned his instruction. "How hard is that to understand?!"

She knew something bad was going to happen as he yanked a gun away from one of his men.

"Like this!"

She caught Breena's eyes as Eadlyn pointed the gun in her direction, mouthing the words, "I love you," a moment before Eadlyn's final command filled the air.

"Now shoot them!"

* * *

"Agito!"

She could hardly believe what she was seeing as Eadlyn flew through the air, landing on his back. She glanced toward Elphaba, shocked to see a similar look of surprise on her sister's face. If Elly didn't throw him then...

"Who did that?"

"I did!"

You could have knocked her over with a feather when she heard Glinda answer. It took every ounce of self control she had not to clap and catcall when the feisty blonde used the spell on Eadlyn again for doubting her.

"You can do magic too?!"

"Of course I can. And so can my mother and my sister."

She silently applauded her friend for using the one weapon they had at their disposal right now, intimidation. She could tell from the look on Addy and Elly's faces that they didn't agree but they had to try something. They couldn't just let Eadlyn have what he wanted.

"Shoot her Gregor."

Her blood ran cold when she heard the words. She hoped Gregor wouldn't listen but all it took was a, "Just do it!" from Eadlyn for him to raise his hand holding the gun.

Anger unlike anything she'd ever felt before burned through her system at the idea of Glinda being hurt. With it came an odd sensation. A strange sense of knowing that whatever she looked at next would feel her wrath. So she made the most logical decision she could... She turned her eyes on the gun.

And it exploded.

She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of the remaining rounds in the chamber all going off at the same time, destroying the gun and Gregor's hand as they did. His screams almost made the corner of her mouth turn up in a triumphant grin. But her success was all too short lived as Eadlyn limped toward them.

"Kill them all!"

The words barely had a chance to register before Eadlyn took a weapon away from one of his men.

"Like this!"

The world seemed to drop away at her feet as Eadlyn pointed the gun at Addy. Her girlfriend chose that moment to look at her, mouthing the words, "I love you."

"Now shoot them all!"

She cast a spell just as something hit her, shoving her into Elphaba as the sound of gunfire filled the air.

* * *

"Who did that?"

She knew who was going to answer before she heard the voice she adored say, "I did!"

It wasn't until Glinda repeated the spell because Eadlyn sarcastically doubted her that she started to get irritated. Throwing him once was more than enough to make her point. Doing it again was only going to piss him off. And they couldn't afford for him to be any angrier than he already was. Not when he and his men were the ones with all the weapons.

"I'm showing him what he's getting himself into."

"No, what you're doing is forcing me to have a change of heart."

She frowned at Eadlyn's choice of words.

"Shoot her Gregor."

The words didn't click right away because they just didn't make any sense. Gregor couldn't shoot Glinda. No one could shoot her. No one was allowed to touch a single blonde hair on her head.

"Just do it!"

Something in her snapped when Gregor raised his gun.

"Conicio!"

The man trying to keep her from her lover went down like a ton of bricks as the word left her lips. But before she could run to Glinda there was a loud noise and lots of screaming. It took her a second to realize it was Gregor. And he was missing the better part of the hand that had been holding his weapon.

"What the hell just happened?!"

She was wondering the same thing as she watched Gregor laying on the ground, his body shaking in agony.

"I said to kill them all!"

Eadlyn's words made her realize she'd missed something. Something important from the way all of his men were fidgeting with their guns.

"Like this!"

She couldn't believe what was happening as Eadlyn took a gun from one of his men and pointed it at Addena. Rage had her seeing red. Who the hell did he think he was, threatening her family like that?

"Now shoot them!"

She let her anger show in the spell she cast a second before Breena slammed into her, knocking her off her feet as all hell broke loose.

_AN: I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who's reading and reviewing. 300 plus reviews is friggin sweet! So thanks everyone. I'm glad you're enjoying the story._


	48. Chapter 48

Addena shifted her gaze from Bree back to Eadlyn, knowing the moment he pulled the trigger by the way his face lit up with anticipation. Almost like a kid who had just been told they were going to get a surprise. She quickly looked away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of looking into her eyes as the inevitable happened. She didn't know how someone could take such pleasure in causing others pain.

She should have been scared, but she wasn't. All she could think about was Bree and how she wished she could have kissed her or at least told her she loved her face to face instead of just mouthing the words to her. But that was how their relationship had been so far. Whenever they took one step forward, as they had the day before by finally making love, they took two steps back. And being separated from the woman she adored by the man who was bound and determined to tear them apart by shooting them both definitely qualified as two giant steps back in her book.

"Oh!"

Her head snapped back up when she heard her sister's shocked outburst, instantly realizing what she was reacting to.

"She's been shot, hasn't she?" Ginny's voice was edged with terror. "My baby's been shot."

"No I haven't." Glinda was quick to put her mind at ease.

"You haven't?"

"No."

"Has Dena?"

"No." Addena answered.

Ginny furrowed her brow. "Then what's going on."

Glinda shook her head. "Open your eyes and see."

Ginny did as she was told, instantly grabbing Glinda's arm when she saw Eadlyn's men pointing guns at them. Her mouth fell open as she watched the rounds they were firing hit what appeared to be an invisible wall in front of them and fall harmlessly to the ground. "Sweet Oz."

"Elphie or Bree must have cast a protection spell." Glinda explained.

The older woman watched in awe as more bullets hit the enchanted air before her. "Remind me to thank whoever did it."

"If we get the chance."

Glinda followed her sister's gaze, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Elphaba, Breena and the Wizard in a heap on the ground. "Elphie!"

"Glinda?" Elphaba, who had been understandably stunned when she was knocked over, found her voice when she heard her lover calling to her. "Glinda?!" She struggled to get away from the weight on top of her.

"Ow." Breena hissed. "Stop squirming."

"Get off me!"

"I can't. Dad is holding me down."

"And that's how it's going to stay." The Wizard countered. "In case you hadn't noticed, we're being used for target practice."

Elphaba clinched her jaw. "So are Glinda and the others!"

"They're safe, Elly. I cast a protection spell."

"You did?" She breathed a silent sigh of relief when she felt rather than saw her sister nod. Her reaction was short lived when she remembered the spell she herself had cast.

"Bree?!" It was Addena who called out this time.

"We're fine." Breena raised her voice to be heard. "Stay where you are."

Glinda only had eyes for the patches of green skin she could see. "But..."

"You both know if you move too far you could accidently break the spell." Breena chastised them.

Addena frowned as someone grabbed her arm, pulling her backward. "Mom!"

"You heard Breena." Ginny did the same thing to Glinda. "We need to stay back until we're sure everything is under control."

"That could take forever." Glinda sighed.

"Let us up Dad."

"No." The Wizard shook his head at Breena's request. "I can't risk one of you getting hurt."

"Contego." She repeated her spell. "There, now we're just as protected as they are."

"Are you sure?" He didn't sound convinced.

"Trust me."

"I do. I just..."

"Dad, I love you, but if you don't get off of us I'm going to have to throw you off." Breena threatened.

"All right, all right." The Wizard spoke as he started to get up, keeping a close eye out for trouble as he did. "There's no need for violence."

"Tell them that." Breena winced as she accepted her father's help in standing.

"Bree?" Addena looked at them anxiously.

"What are you doing?" Glinda stepped up next to her sister. "Stay down!"

"I cast another protection spell." Breena started to reach for her sister.

"What are you doing?" The Wizard knocked her hand away. "You can barely stand up by yourself. Do you honestly thing you'll be able to help her?"

Someone yelled, "Eadlyn's dead!" before she could respond.

"What?!" Another man questioned.

"I said Eadlyn's dead!" The man repeated himself.

"We wouldn't be so lucky." The Wizard commented as he righted Elphaba.

"He can't be!" Another man disagreed.

"Well he is!" The first one insisted. "Just look at him!"

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed. The men were close enough to get a better view, but the girls could make out that Eadlyn was laying on the ground, motionless.

"Do you really think he's dead?" Glinda asked her sister.

Addena sighed. "I hope so."

Breena put her hand on her sister's arm.

"He looks dead to me." Yet another man agreed.

"Then what the hell are we still doing here?!" The first one yelled.

"Don't just stand there men! Stop them!"

"Cade." The Wizard's ears perked up when he heard the captain's voice. "Are you all right my boy?"

"Peachy." Cade replied. "Stay put until I give you the all clear." He ran toward his men. "Don't let them get away!"

"Do you want to help them out Elly?" Breena waited for a response but none came. "Clarus."

It was like a strong gust of wind hit the retreating men, knocking them off their feet.

"Bree." Addena growled her name. "No more magic."

"I feel fine." Breena defended herself, rolling her eyes at the look her lover gave her. "Did you want them to get away?"

"You heard me." Addena warned her.

Cade flashed a smile over his shoulder when he saw the effects of the spell. "Thanks."

"At least someone appreciates it." Breena griped.

"Elphie?" Glinda watched her girlfriend as she started to walk toward Cade.

Ginny grabbed her daughter's hand when she tried to follow her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"With her."

"I don't think so." Ginny scoffed. "The Captain said to stay here."

"But something's wrong." Glinda argued.

"Do as your mother says and stay there." Breena sided with Ginny. "I'll take care of Elly."

"Bree I..."

Breena silenced Addena with a look. "No more magic, I promise." She limped after her sister. "Elly?"

Elphaba, who had come to a stop next to Eadlyn, was too busy looking at him to even glance at her sister. "I..." Her voice caught in her throat as she stared into his sightless eyes. "I cast the death spell."

"I know." Breena saved her from saying more. "I heard you."

"I killed a man Bree." Tears filled her eyes. "I used my magic to take someone else's life."

"We don't know that."

Elphaba frowned at her sister. "What do you mean we don't know that? Look at him." She gestured toward the body with her hand. "He's dead isn't he?"

"As a door nail." Breena agreed. "But look a little closer sis. There's a bullet hole in his chest."

"There is?"

"Right there." Breena pointed. "Where did you think the blood all over the front of his shirt came from?"

"I..." Elphaba mentally kicked herself. "I wasn't really sure how the whole death spell thing worked."

"To be honest with you, neither am I. It's not like I had time to go look at the lieutenant after I used it. But my point is we won't know if you're the one who killed him until we get to the Grimmerie."

"The forbidden spells."

"I prefer to call them restricted." Breena corrected her. "Forbidden sounds too ominous."

Elphaba didn't respond to her attempt to lighten the mood. "Whatever you want to call them. If I can read them then I... I..."

"Then you took down one of the most evil people we're ever going to meet." Breena finished her thought for her. "If you did kill him you did the right thing."

"I did?"

"He would have just kept coming after us, Elly. We never would have known when or where he was going to pop up. That's no way to live your life."

"She's right."

They both turned when they heard Glinda's voice, shocked to see that she and Addena were behind them.

Elphaba swallowed hard. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Since Bree pointed out the wound in his chest." Addena answered.

"Then you know that I..." Elphaba hung her head, too ashamed to go on.

"Don't do that." Glinda's voice was gentle as she went to her lover. "Elphie, please." She cupped a green cheek, forcing the witch to look at her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I might have killed a man Glinda."

"In self defense." Addena pointed out as she handed Breena her crutches, earning herself a silent thank you by way of an adoring look.

"It doesn't matter why I did it." Elphaba snapped.

"That's not what you told me."

Elphaba frowned at her sister again. "What?"

"When we had our little talk about me using the spell and I tried to say the same thing." Breena clarified.

"You were on your way to save us." Elphaba growled.

"And you were protecting us." Glinda spoke up, knowing exactly what Breena was trying to do. "Eadlyn wouldn't have stopped with Dena, Elphie. He wanted us all dead. It might make me sound cold and uncaring, but I think our lives in exchange for his is a pretty fair trade."

"Me too." Addena agreed as she looked down at her former tormentor. "Especially considering everything he put us through."

"Amen."

Elphaba chortled. "Yeah, but none of you killed him. You could have cast the death spell, Bree, but you didn't."

"I would have."

"You would?" Addena gave her lover a look.

Breena nodded. "In a heartbeat. He deserved everything he got."

"But you cast a protection spell." Elphaba reminded her.

"Only because I heard you cast first." Breena gripped her sister's shoulder. "I know it's hard to believe considering the family and friends we have now, but there are people out there this world is better off without. And Eadlyn was definitely one of them."

"Yes he was." Glinda slipped her hand into Elphaba's.

"What is your mother going to think?" Elphaba shook her head. "And Dad."

"We don't have to tell Mom if you don't want to." Addena offered.

"Or Dad." Breena agreed. "Although we both know he wouldn't think less of you."

"Neither would our Mom." Addena agreed.

"They're right, Elphie. He was shot. Even if you are responsible, people are going to think that's how he died." Glinda gave her hand a squeeze. "No one has to know unless you want them to."

"Yackle will know." Elphaba stated. "If it was me than I'll be able to read the..." Her voice trailed off for a moment as she looked at her sister. "Restricted spells in the Grimmerie."

"She would know somehow even if you can't read the spells." Breena pointed out. "But it's not like she's going to run around telling everyone. If she does I'll shut her up like I did Boq."

"Now that could be interesting." The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "Couldn't you do it anyway?"

"As tempting as it is, no." Breena shook her head. "And don't try that infamous pout to get what you want either."

"Pout?" Addena stuck her bottom lip out. "What pout?"

She looked so much like Glinda Elphaba couldn't stop herself from chuckling.

"Finally." Breena threw her hands in the air. "Thanks for breaking the ice with her Addy." She pointed at her girlfriend. "But I'm still not hexing Yackle for you."

Addena snapped her fingers. "Damn."

"It'll be all right, Elphie." Glinda used their linked hands to pull her closer to her side.

"I hope so." Elphaba sighed.

"I speak from experience when I say it gets easier with time." Breena looked at Eadlyn again. "And we still don't know if you're the one who killed him. So why don't you put the deciding whether or not to tell people on the back burner until we're sure."

"That sounds like a great idea to me." Glinda put her free arm around Elphaba's waist.

"Me too." Elphaba agreed.

"And remember, no matter what happens Elphaba, you're not alone." Addena gave her a heartfelt grin. "We're all here for you."

"No one will need to be there for her when she's dead."

None of them had noticed Gregor was now sitting up and had yet another gun in his undamaged hand.

"You killed my best friend you bitch." He pointed the weapon at Elphaba. "And now you're going to pay."

"You've got to be kidding me." Breena's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Agito!" Addena pointed at him as she said the spell. It hit him so hard it made him do a somersault.

"Wow." Glinda raised her eyebrows.

"Nice shot." Breena was equally impressed.

"I can't believe I just did that." Addena looked at her still outstretched hand.

Breena grinned. "We're going to make the two of you wandless wonders yet."

The corner of Elphaba's mouth turned up too. "Thanks."

Addena was still shocked. "You're welcome."

"Is everyone all right?" A Gale Force guard asked as he ran over to them, holding his rifle on Gregor. "Did he hurt anyone?"

"No." Elphaba answered him. "We're fine."

It seemed like the weight of the world lifted from her shoulders as she realized the truth behind her words. She watched her sister talking to Addena and felt Glinda's presence at her side and knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were right. No matter what might or might not have happened everything was going to be OK.

"Elphie?" Glinda furrowed her brow, obviously worried.

Elphaba gave her a smile. "I'm fine, Linny." The more she said it the better she felt. "I'm fine."

_AN: Sorry this part took so long but I was checking out Gregory Maguire's new book A Lion Among Men. If you like the Cowardly Lion (as I'm sure most of you can guess that I do) it's a great read._


	49. Chapter 49

"So you turned around," Lion almost knocked his chair over as he shot to his feet. "Knocking the gun away as you punched the man holding it." He acted out the actions as he described them. "Then you took the gun," he raised his paws like he was holding a weapon. "And shot Eadlyn dead." He was practically panting as he stared at his imaginary foe for a moment before turning to look at Cade. "Like that?"

Cade grinned, bemused. "Uh, yeah. Something like that."

Glinda was holding Elphaba's hand under the table. Her girlfriend kept telling her she was fine but feeling those green fingers intertwined with her own was for her benefit just as much as Elphaba's. She still couldn't believe they had all made it through their ordeal unscathed. It just didn't seem possible considering the odds they had faced in the courtyard.

"Sit down." Penny instructed Lion as she patted the chair he had been in before, making sure he was going to do as she asked before continuing. "I still can't believe we missed all the excitement."

"Me either." Maeve, who had finally made an appearance, agreed. "I guess that's what I get for taking a walk in the gardens. They're lovely by the way." She directed the comment at Ginny.

"Thank you." Ginny acknowledged the compliment. "I'm glad you enjoyed them."

"Well I'm glad he's dead." Fiyero clinched his jaw. "I just wish I could have killed the bastard myself."

"No you don't."

Fiyero turned his gaze on Elphaba. "What was that?"

"Nothing." She replied.

Glinda gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Breena's spell had done the trick, giving the handful of Gale Forcers who were originally guarding Eadlyn the chance to round up his accomplices. By the time that was done it was nearly noon and Ginny suggested everyone have lunch. So here they were gathered around the table, Cade included at the Wizard's insistence. And of course the hot topic of discussion was what happened outside.

Cade stood as Breena and Addena came into the room. "How are my men?"

"Sleeping, just like Gregor said they were." Addena pulled the chair next to Elphaba out for Breena, taking her crutches as she could sit down.

"Thanks." Breena gave her a smile.

"How long will they be asleep?" The Wizard asked, his brow creased in concern.

"We're really not sure." Breena fielded the question. "Without knowing exactly what was in that potion it's hard to tell. But I would guess anywhere between twenty-four and forty-eight hours."

"Are they in any danger?"

"No." Addena shook her head as she sat next to Breena. "They're probably getting the best sleep of their lives."

The Wizard pursed his lips. "It looks like we'll have to take advantage of your hospitality for a while longer."

"Don't worry about it." Ginny waved away his concern. "Stay as long as you'd like."

"I'd better go check on our prisoners." Cade grinned at Breena. "I think you scared them too much for any of them to try anything but it's better to be safe than sorry." He started out of the room, turning when he reached the doorway. "I do have one question though." He looked at Elphaba and Breena. "Did one of you have something to do with Gregor's gun exploding?"

"Bree did it." Elphaba answered.

"Breena?" The Wizard repeated his daughter's name, raising his eyebrows when Elphaba nodded. "I didn't know you could blow things up."

"Neither did I." Breena shrugged.

Addena furrowed her brow. "Then how does Elphaba know you did it?"

Breena turned toward her lover. "Do you remember the little spat we had at my house right after Maeve showed up?"

"You mean the fight you had over me." Maeve clarified.

"It wasn't a fight, it was a spat." Breena corrected her. "And it didn't really have anything to do with you."

"I remember." Addena cut in. "I stuck my foot in my mouth and upset you."

"A lover's tiff." Lion helped out.

"Exactly." Breena agreed. "We went to the guest house to tidy it up for Maeve."

"The lamps!" Everyone jumped as Maeve yelled and pointed at Breena. "I completely forgot about you blowing up the lamps!"

"You broke the lamps?" Lion gave Maeve a sheepish look. "Sorry I blamed you."

Maeve smiled. "That's all right."

"Is that what you were cleaning up when you asked Breena to have me bring you a broom?"

Elphaba nodded at Glinda's question.

"I didn't even know I was doing it." Breena explained. "I was just so mad and then bam," she gestured with her hands. "The lamps blew."

"I didn't realize I upset you so badly." Addena sounded apologetic.

Breena reached for the doctor's hand. "Water under the bridge, Addy."

"So that's what happened today?" The Wizard was still trying to understand.

"You got totally pissed at Gregor and made his gun explode?" Fiyero asked a question of his own.

"Basically, yeah." Breena replied. "Elly has an angry power too."

"Angry power?" Elphaba gave her sister a bemused look.

"She does?" Glinda looked surprised.

Breena nodded. "She can throw things a long way."

"Without lifting a finger." Addena added.

Glinda furrowed her brow. "How did you figure that out?"

"Let's just say it had to do with Morrible and lightning and leave it at that." Elphaba answered.

"Oh." Glinda nodded her understanding as Elphaba tightened her grip on her hand, glad she hadn't gone into more detail about how she was struck by lightning protecting her from Morrible and how Addena saved her life.

"Morrible." Fiyero said the name like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "That figures."

Breena gestured with her hands. "Just don't make either of us mad and you won't have to worry about being thrown or blown up."

"She's kidding." Lion assured Penny before looking at Breena, wide eyed. "You are kidding, right?"

Elphaba chuckled. "Yes, she was."

"Well now that that's been explained I better be going." Cade glanced at the Wizard. "I'll check in with you later."

"I'll go with you." Fiyero stood up.

"So will Penny and I." Lion blushed. "I mean if you want to come with us."

Penny smiled at him. "I'd like that. It will give me a chance to catch up with some of our old buddies from the camp." She winked at Breena.

"Friends, right." Ginny scoffed.

"Do you mind if I come too?"

Fiyero frowned at Maeve. "Why would you want to?"

Breena returned his frown. "Does she have to have a reason Mr. Macho?"

"I guess not." Fiyero breezed out of the room.

"The company of a pretty woman is always appreciated in my book." Cade offered her his arm.

"Thank you." Maeve accepted.

"Uh oh." Lion shook his head as they left. "I see a love triangle coming on."

Breena choked on a laugh. "What do you know about love triangles?"

He gave her an indignant look. "I've read books." He gripped Penny's paw as the others laughed too. "Let's go."

Glinda said, "We still love you Lion."

"Whatever." He mumbled as he drug a chuckling Penny with him.

"I've read books." Ginny wiped at her eyes, shaking her head. "That was too much."

Elphaba stood up too. "I have something I need to see to."

Breena instantly sobered. "Do you need my help?"

"I think Glinda can handle this one." Elphaba gripped her sister's shoulder.

"Are you sure Elphie?" Glinda looked at her anxiously.

"Positive." Elphaba offered her a hand up. "If you'll excuse us."

Addena nodded. "We'll see you later."

The Wizard furrowed his brow as the couple left the room. "Is everything all right with Elphaba?"

Breena's, "I hope so," was barely audible as she stared at the doorway.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Glinda asked as they made their way toward her room. "I mean, don't you think Breena would be better qualified to help you with…" She gestured toward the Grimmerie, which was tucked safely under her lover's arm. "That."

Elphaba stopped in the middle of the hallway. "Maybe I should go back down to the library."

"Why? Do you think you'll have a better connection to the book there?"

"No."

"Did you change your mind about Bree?"

"No." Elphaba avoided her gaze.

Glinda frowned. "Elphie?"

"It's just..."

"Just what?" Glinda lovingly ran her hand up a green arm. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I..." Elphaba sighed. "This is obviously making you uncomfortable, Glinda. And I don't want you to think you have to hold my hand every time something like this happens." She looked at the floor. "Not that I plan on killing many people."

"Elphie..."

"But this isn't the first time my magic has thrown us a curve ball and it certainly won't be the last."

"I..."

"Our powers seem to get stronger every day."

"I know…"

Elphaba gestured with her free hand. "And you shouldn't feel obligated to help me figure them out." She shook her head. "I know it must scare you sometimes."

Glinda grabbed her hand before she could put it back on the Grimmerie. "I've told you before but I'll say it again in the hope that it gets through that thick skull of yours." She made sure her lover was looking at her. "You don't scare me Elphaba. You never have and you never will."

"But..."

"It's my turn to talk now." The blonde interrupted her. "I wasn't asking if you wanted Breena because I don't want to be here. I asked because she puts you at ease. Especially when it comes to anything having to do with your powers. And if your spell did work, I thought you might feel more comfortable with her considering she's cast it too."

"I'm sorry. I..."

"I'm not done." Glinda gave the hand she was holding a squeeze. "Even if you had said you wanted Bree here, I wouldn't have left, Elphie. I love you and I want to be here. I _need _to be here. I want to be a part of every aspect of your life."

"I want you to be too." Elphaba pulled her to her, holding the Grimmerie off to her side so she could hold the blonde close. "I didn't mean to question your intentions, Linny."

"And I didn't mean to make you think I was uncomfortable." Glinda cuddled against her for a moment before pulling back to look at her. "I think we should move this into my room before someone else comes along and thinks we're having an argument."

"Yeah, it might tarnish our reputation as the perfect couple."

"Stop it." Glinda smacked her on the arm as they walked into her room. She barely closed the door before she grabbed her, pulling her into a lingering lip lock.

Elphaba grinned when they finally parted. "We should argue more often."

"I thought maybe you could use that to center you."

"Oh, well in that case." Elphaba brought their lips together again, deepening the kiss when Glinda pressed against her body.

"Hm." Glinda licked her lips. "I love when we do that." She put her forehead against Elphaba's. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Elphaba gave her another kiss before pulling away and walking over to the bed where she sat down with the Grimmerie in her lap. "I guess this is the moment of truth."

"I guess so." Glinda held her breath as Elphaba opened the book. Yackle had repaired the binding, putting back together the two halves she and Morrible created when they fought over the ancient tome.

Elphaba tried to keep her hands from shaking as she thumbed through the pages she could read, taking a deep breath when she reached the restricted spells. For a second she wished her sister was there but her stubborn side quickly kicked in. She needed to be able to handle her part of their magic by herself. She couldn't expect Bree to keep walking her through every situation they faced. It was time for her to start pulling her own weight

Glinda watched as Elphie stopped turning pages and started scanning the characters it held, waiting as long as her curiosity would let her before saying, "Well?"

"I can read it." Elphaba didn't look up from the page. "This is the power stripping spell. Breena had to interpret it for me before because I couldn't understand it. But now I can." She shook her head. "Now I can."

"Oh Elphie."

She slammed the book shut, putting it aside. "I killed Eadlyn."

"And we've been over this already." Glinda went to her. "You didn't do anything wrong, my love. What you need to do is..."

Elphaba pulled her down on her lap. "What I need is something to take my mind off of this whole spell business. Something to convince me nothing has changed." She stared into blue eyes. "I need you."

"Then that's what you're going to get." She cupped Elphie's cheeks. "I love you."

"I love you too, Linny." Elphaba pulled her closer. "Do you ever get tired of being my cheerleader?"

"Never." Glinda suddenly smiled mischievously. "As a matter of fact, I think I have my old cheerleading outfit from secondary school in my closet. Want to see if it still fits?"

"Are you kidding?"

"Just imagine, me in a skin tight sweater." She waggled her eyebrows. "With pom poms."

Elphaba grinned. "That could be interesting."

Glinda gave her a lingering kiss. "I'll be right back."

Elphaba's grin became a smile as she watched her disappear into the walk in closet.

* * *

"Do you think I should?"

"No."

"But..."

"No."

"I just want to see if Elly is all right."

"She'll come find you when she's ready to talk."

"But what if she..." Breena sighed at the look she got. "Fine. I'll leave her alone."

Addena had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Sometimes Bree was just too cute for words. "How about we go to my room so I can change your bandage?"

"Oh joy."

"It'll take your mind off your troubles." She sing songed.

"What's gotten into you?"

Addena shrugged as she leaned her back against her door, giving the witch a suggestive look as she turned the knob. "I don't know but you better take advantage of it while it lasts."

Breena grinned. "I think I will."

"Good choice." She watched Bree walk by, pleasure bubbling through her system at the thought of finally being able to think of her as her lover.

Breena glanced over her shoulder as she made her way into the room. "Are you looking at my butt?"

"Maybe."

"Can't say I blame you. It's a great butt."

Addena chuckled as she followed her. "You won't get any argument from me about that."

"I didn't think I would." Breena sighed as she took her crutches from under her arms and sank down on the edge of the bed.

"Tired?"

"These are harder to get around on then you might think." She leaned the crutches against the bedside table. "I'd rather go down stairs than up them."

"I told you." Addena rubbed Bree's arm. "Are your muscles burning?"

Breena shuddered at her touch. "Something's burning but it's not my arm muscles."

The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "You dirty girl."

"You bring out the best in me." Breena pulled her down for a kiss.

"I could say the same thing about you." The doctor countered by initiating a lip lock of her own.

"What about my bandage?" The witch breathed against her lips.

"It can wait."

Breena didn't argue as she let herself be lowered down to the bed.


	50. Chapter 50

Elphaba sat hunched over the open Grimmerie in her lap, drinking in every syllable of every word as she read through the relatively small section of restricted spells. At first they weren't that bad. Things like how to make a fortune and claiming the heart of one you love. Certainly not anything you would want to fall into the wrong hands but nothing earth shattering either. Not compared to the ones toward the middle, which included the power stripping spell they used on Morrible. But the ones in the back were horrifying. A veritable how to on torturing, maiming and even driving people insane to the point they committed suicide to escape the torment of completely losing their minds.

It wasn't any wonder Yackle got so upset when she realized Breena could read the incantations. It made her half sick to her stomach just knowing they existed.

She closed the book, mechanically laying it on the sofa next to her as her mind continued to reel.

"That was pretty much my reaction too."

"Oz!" She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice, shocked to find her sister sitting in the chair across from her. "You scared me!"

"Sorry." Breena apologized.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to know you can read all of the Grimmerie now."

"Oh." Elphaba dropped her eyes.

"Hey, none of that." Breena chastised her.

"But I..."

"I know, Elly. I've been there, remember."

Elphaba nodded.

"Then you know it's not the end of the world."

Her head snapped up. "How can you say that?"

"Because it's true."

Elphaba looked at her in disbelief. "The only reason I can read those spells is because I killed a man today, Bree. I killed a man." She repeated the words, emphasizing each one to get her point across.

Breena sighed. "I'm sorry, Elly. Let me start over, OK?"

Elphaba nodded again.

"I know you probably think I'm taking this whole situation too lightly, but I'm not. I just..." She gestured with her hands. "I know what you're going through and I hate it. So I tried to play if off that you using the spell was no big deal, which was stupid because it's a huge deal. And no matter how many people tell you he deserved what he got or that you didn't do anything wrong it doesn't seem that way. You used your powers to take someone's life. It makes you not want to use magic ever again."

"You felt that way too?"

Breena nodded. "At least I did for a few minutes. But then I got back to the cave and the spell to make things disappear popped into my head and I knew we had to use it or we would have all been goners. I felt horrible for what I'd done, but saving you and the others was more important."

"That's not how it happened today."

"Really?" Breena furrowed her brow. "Because the scenarios seem pretty similar to me. We were both faced with life or death situations, we were both trying to keep people we love safe and we both listened to our instincts as far as our magic is concerned."

Elphaba sighed. "But if I had just stopped to think about it maybe I could have…"

"Addy would be dead right now, Elly." Breena interrupted her. "That's what would have happened if you had stopped to think about it."

"But you said you were going to cast the spell if I hadn't. And you're protection spell..."

"Screw what I said. What if I hadn't been there to cast a spell? If you had hesitated for even a split second, he would have pulled that trigger and the woman of my dreams would be dead. You might have taken Eadlyn's life, Elphaba, but you saved Addy's. Not to mention Glinda and Ginny and Dad and yourself and me. You're a hero as far as I'm concerned."

"I don't fell like a hero." Elphaba's shoulders slumped, tears filling her eyes. "I know I did the right thing, but that doesn't change the fact that I killed someone."

"I know it doesn't." Breena got up, moving the Grimmerie so she could sit next to her sister. "And I'm not saying you should just chalk the whole thing up to experience and forget it ever happened. That's not possible."

Elphaba let herself be pulled into a hug.

"But you can't let this dictate the rest of your life either." Breena held her close as she cried. "If you do you might hesitate in the wrong place at the wrong time and then what? You kick yourself because your magic gave you a solution but you didn't use it? We walk a fine line, sis. And it's not always going to be easy." She gave her a squeeze. "But you're not in this alone."

"I know." Elphaba cuddled against her side.

A comfortable silence fell between them. They stayed that way for several minutes before Breena spoke again.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from the darker side of our powers."

"How were you supposed to do that?"

Breena shrugged. "I'm sure I could have found a way."

The corner of Elphaba's mouth turned up. "I appreciate the offer."

"I'm serious Elly. If you came to me tomorrow and said you didn't want to do this anymore, I would bind your powers and help you find a nice little house with a white picket fence to settle down in with Glinda."

"And let you have all the fun? I don't think so." Elphaba pulled away to look at her sister when she didn't get the chuckle she was expecting. "You're really serious."

"I told you I was."

"I could never do that to you, Bree."

"You wouldn't be doing anything to me. I just want you to know the option to call it quits and live a more normal life is there if you ever decide to use it."

"Normal?" Elphaba held out her hands. "I've been green my whole life, Bree. I'll never be considered normal."

"You knew what I meant." Breena gruffed. "A life without magic. One where you wouldn't have to worry about what spell is going to pop into your head next or what could happen if you decide to cast it."

"What about you? Let's say, for the sake of argument, that I decided to take you up on your offer and you bound my powers. What then?"

"I'd have to make sure your house was close to mine or I'd miss you horribly."

"Bree." Elphaba gave her a look.

"What? It's true."

"I meant what would happen to you magically."

"Nothing. Being able to do magic is normal for me. I was brought up in a house where my mom not only encouraged me to try new spells, she insisted on it. I was never belittled or punished or told I was evil."

"You didn't have any control over how Frex treated me." Elphaba gripped her sister's hand. "No one did."

"Someone should have." Breena growled. "I can't imagine standing idly by and watching as a child was treated that way."

"Betak says you didn't exactly have it easy after your mother died."

"That was different. His Eminence wasn't my father."

"No, but he was your grandfather." Elphaba countered. "And I know for a fact he didn't like magic any more than Frex did."

Breena scoffed. "You can say that again."

"I'd rather repeat something you implied earlier... We're in this together, Bree. As much as I appreciate you trying to look out for me, I would never _could_ never take you up on your offer. And not just because Yackle said one person couldn't handle all that power on their own either. For all my hesitancy to use my magic sometimes, I would feel naked without it. So I'm afraid you're stuck with me."

"I love you Elly." Breena pulled her into her arms again.

Elphaba returned the hug this time. "I love you too."

They held each other for a moment before pulling apart to sit back on the couch, their shoulders touching as they stared at the Grimmerie.

"Do you think we'll ever had to use any of those spells, Bree?"

"I hope not." Breena replied. "And it might sound odd, but I'm glad they're in the book because Yackle's right. Magic is on the rise again in Oz. I can feel it right here." She patted her chest. "We need to know what we could be up against."

"I can feel it too." Elphaba admitted. "But we'll get through that together too."

"Damn straight we will."

Silence enveloped them again.

"Does Addena know you came all the way down here to the library without your crutches?"

"Nope. Does Glinda know you were down here pouring over the Grimmerie and feeling guilty?"

"No." Elphaba waited a beat. "Do you think we should go back upstairs?"

"Addy's asleep."

"So is Glinda."

"Then I think it's safe to stay here for a little while longer."

Elphaba scooted closer, putting her head on her sister's shoulder. "I was hoping you would say that."

Breena smiled as she leaned her head against her sister's.

* * *

A grin spread across Addena's face as she stretched, basking in the feel of the cool sheets against her bare skin. If she had known this was how being in love would make her feel she would have given it a try a long time ago. Of course she was destined to be with Bree so she would have had to meet the witch first but still. She could really get used to this making love until she was exhausted and waking up next to the woman she adored thing.

Her grin disappeared as she opened her eyes. Maybe she should get used to waking up alone in bed instead.

"Bree?" She pushed the sheet aside, grabbing her robe off the chair next to the bed as she headed to the bathroom. "Are you in there?" She knocked on the door, letting it swing open to reveal her lover wasn't there either.

"Damn it Bree." She growled when she noticed the crutches leaning against the table on the witch's side of the bed. She quickly grabbed them and made a beeline for the door. She might be in love but that didn't mean she had to excuse her girlfriend for not listening to her when it came to her health.

"I don't know how many times I have to tell her she shouldn't be walking on that leg." She mumbled as she marched out into the hallway. "Maybe if it falls off she'll finally take me seriously and realize I was..."

The rest of her rant was cut off as she ran into something.

"Ow!" Glinda frowned at her through sleep blurred eyes. "You're not Elphie."

"No, I'm not." Addena put her hand on her sister's shoulder to steady her. "Is she missing too?"

"Missing?" Glinda's voice went up an octave. "Elphie is missing?!"

"I didn't mean missing missing." Addena was quick to explain. "I meant not in your room when you woke up. That kind of missing."

"Oh." Glinda relaxed. "Then yes, she's missing."

Addena couldn't help but grin as her sister yawned. "I forgot how out of it you are when you first wake up."

Glinda frowned. "I'm not out of it."

"Oh really? Then why are you wearing your old cheerleading outfit instead of pajamas?"

"What?" The younger blonde blushed when she looked down, realizing her sister was right. "I... Uh..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me." Addena chuckled. "But you might want to change before we go looking for Bree and Elphaba." She eyed the outfit. "That is if you can squeeze out of that thing."

"It's not that tight." Glinda gruffed as she went back in her room.

"It looks like it's cutting off your circulation."

"It does not!"

"Whatever you think." Addena sat down on her sister's bed as Glinda disappeared into her closet. "Why were you wearing it anyway?"

"I thought you said I didn't have to explain anything to you."

"You don't." She agreed. "I'll just ask Elphaba."

"Don't you dare."

"Why? Because she'd turn an even darker shade of green?"

"Yes." Glinda reentered the room, tying her pink robe. "Let's just say I was trying to cheer her up and leave it at that."

Addena suddenly turned serious. "So it was her?"

Glinda nodded. "Yes it was."

"Is she all right?"

"She will be, in time."

"I'm sorry I teased you."

"You don't have anything to apologize for." Glinda joined her on the bed, grinning when she got a good look at her sister. "You're glowing."

"I am not."

"Oh yes you are."

It was Addena's turn to blush. "OK, maybe I am. A little."

"More like a lot."

"Shut up." Addena nudged her with her elbow.

"I take it that means things are going well between you and Bree."

"You could say that."

Glinda's grin became a smile as she bounced on the bed. "Tell me all about it."

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm not the kind to kiss and tell." Addena rolled her eyes when her sister stuck out her bottom lip. "Stop that."

"But..."

"I don't ask you for details about your sex life with Elphaba."

"So you finally had sex! That's great!"

"Shhh."

"No one can hear us." Glinda was all grins again.

"I know. I just..."

"Are you happy Dena?"

The question caught her off guard. "What?"

"I asked if you're happy." Glinda repeated herself.

"Of course I am."

"Then what do you have to be embarrassed about?" Her blue eyes sparkled. "Is she really good in bed?"

"You have no idea." Addena clapped her hand over her mouth when she realized what she said.

Glinda giggled. "So is Elphie."

"Linny!"

"What? We're just having a little girl talk."

"More like smut talk."

"Is there a difference?"

Addena couldn't stop herself from chuckling. "You're incorrigible."

"Elphie tells me that all the time." Glinda put her hand on her sister's leg. "I'm so glad you're finally happy, Dena. You deserve it."

"Thanks." She blushed again. "I don't have to ask if you're happy with Elphaba."

"Happy doesn't even begin to cover it." Glinda gushed. "Isn't it great being in love?"

Addena grinned. "It sure is."

Glinda gestured toward the crutches in her sister's hand. "Is Bree being bad again?"

"Always."

"Where do you think they are?"

They both thought about it for a moment before saying, "The library," at the same time.

"Should we go get them?" Glinda asked.

"Definitely."

"OK, but only if you agree not to yell at Breena."

"I wouldn't yell at Bree."

"Maybe you wouldn't as her girlfriend but you would as her doctor." Glinda disagreed.

"Since when does she need you to watch her back?"

"She's my friend so you better get used to it."

"Great. Like the two of you aren't bad enough by yourselves. Now I have to worry about you ganging up on me together."

Glinda grinned. "Elphie will help you out."

"At least someone's on my side." Addena tried to sound stern but was smiling as they walked out of the room.


	51. Chapter 51

Elphaba couldn't believe it had been two whole days since Eadlyn's men tried to rescue him. The first day was rough. Even after her talk with Bree and more reassurances from everyone that she had done the right thing she still felt at odds with her actions. Like everyone was staring at her, waiting to see what she would do next.

But then the Gale Force guards starting waking up that evening and everyone's attention shifted to them. Everyone but Glinda, who lavished her with extra affection, and Bree, who went out of her way to try and make her talk. Knowing the two most important people in her life didn't think of her any differently and wanted her to feel better boosted her confidence in the idea that life really would go on despite what she had done.

By the next morning she was feeling more comfortable in her own skin and decided it was time to stop lingering on the likes of Eadlyn and threw herself into having a better day. It worked. When her father, Fiyero and Cade packed up the Gale Force to go home that night she was feeling more like herself than she had in a long time.

And now here she was, laying in her lover's childhood bed as said blonde gently caressed her side. She couldn't stop herself from sighing at the sensation.

"Am I hurting you?"

"Not at all."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely positively sure?"

Her brow furrowed as she opened her eyes to find an anxious Glinda staring down at her.

"First you closed your eyes and then you sighed." The blonde explained. "I don't want to hurt you, Elphie."

"You're not." She assured her.

"But…"

"It actually feels good."

"Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"No."

"Are you sur…"

"Linny." Elphaba interrupted her before she could finish asking if she was sure again.

"I'm sorry. It's just, I know you have a very high pain tolerance and I've never really done anything like this before and the idea of hurting you makes me want to..."

"Breathe." Elphaba filled in the blank for her.

Glinda bit her lip sheepishly. "I was rambling, wasn't I?"

"Just a little. But you were incredibly cute while you were doing it."

"More like neurotic."

"You're not neurotic." Elphaba propped herself up on one elbow, taking Glinda's hand in her own. "Gorgeous, yes. Neurotic, no."

The corner of Glinda's mouth turned up. "You say the sweetest things sometimes. Like telling me I wasn't hurting you just a second ago."

Elphaba sighed. "Glinda."

"Just kidding." She giggled as she placed a kiss on the end of Elphie's nose. "But you have to promise you'll tell me if I do hurt you."

"You don't have to keep doing this if you don't want to."

"I'm not doing this because I think I have to." Glinda guided her back down on the bed. "I'm doing it because I love you."

"Oh," Elphaba grinned. "Well in that case have at it."

A smile spread across Glinda's face as she went back to rubbing her family's secret balm on the bruises marring her lover's side and shoulder. They didn't look as bad as they had when they got home from their adventure in the cave but she knew they were still tender. She almost asked Dena to take another look at them but her sister took care of Breena when she was hurt so why shouldn't she do the same thing for Elphie? She asked for the balm instead, surprising Elphie when she told her to strip down and get on the bed so she could tend to her.

There was a little bit of an ulterior motive to not asking her sister to examine her girlfriend though. Dena was a doctor and would never think of the green woman as anything other than a patient, but the thought of anyone seeing Elphie in nothing but her underwear bothered her. Not that she would stop her sister from taking care of her lover if there was some sort of an emergency, but taking care of healing bruises hardly classified as one. As a matter of fact it was more of an intimate situation. Something nice she wanted to do for the woman she loved.

And when it came to intimacy she wasn't about to share her Elphie with anyone.

"Go?"

The sound of Elphie's voice drew her out of her thoughts. "Huh?"

"I asked where you went." Elphaba repeated herself. "What had you so lost in thought?"

"Oh, uh..." Glinda scrambled to come up with something that would sound convincing. She couldn't tell her lover she was semi-jealous at the thought of her sister seeing her right now. Elphie would think she was being ridiculous.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when someone knocked on the door.

"Are you two decent in there?" Breena asked.

"We're..."

"Of course we are." Glinda cut Elphie off, wishing she could take the words back the instant they left her mouth. Her girlfriend had made it a point to keep the extent of her injuries from her sister for fear she would try to heal her.

"Glinda." Elphaba hissed, grabbing the sheet to try to cover herself as the door opened.

"Hey guys." Breena grinned as she came into the room, stopping in her tracks to stare up at the ceiling when she saw her sister on the bed with Glinda leaning over her. "I thought you said you were decent."

"We are." Glinda discretely handed Elphie the jar of balm as she stood up.

"Since when does being half naked classify as decent?"

"I'm not half naked." Elphaba argued as she slid the balm under the pillow beside her. "Did you need something?"

"Not really. I just had to get away from Addy for a minute so I thought I would come see what you two were doing."

"Are you arguing?" Glinda was instantly concerned.

"It was really more of a debate about whether or not I still need those stupid crutches." Breena answered. "I told her I didn't considering my leg is better but she thinks I should keep using them until it's completely healed."

"I hate to tell you this but what you call debates _are_ arguments." Elphaba spoke as she grabbed Glinda's robe from the end of the bed and stood up to put it on. "And Addena's right. You should stay off that leg until it's healed."

Breena sighed. "I should have known you'd side with her."

"Yes, you should have considering she's right."

"Yeah well…" Breena's voice trailed off as she looked at her sister again. "What is that?!"

Glinda flinched at the tone of her voice, knowing they were in for it.

"What is what?" Elphaba played it cool as she started to tie the robe.

"On your side." Breena hurried over to her, batting her hands away to pull the robe open again.

"Bree!" Elphaba growled at her.

"Where did you get that bruise?" Breena gave her a quick once over. "And the one on your shoulder?"

"They're not as bad as they look." Glinda tried to help out.

Breena ignored her comment. "You got those in that damned cave didn't you? You've been hurt worse than you were letting on this whole time." She looked back and forth between the two of them. "Why didn't one of you say something?"

Glinda locked eyes with Elphaba, silently asking her what they should do.

"Is this because Addy said I couldn't do magic?"

"Yes." Elphaba finally found her voice again.

"So you've been walking around in pain… and don't try to tell me those don't hurt because I'm not buying it… for what, four days now?"

"I'm fine, Bree."

"You're black and blue Elly!"

Elphaba sighed. "You knew what I meant."

"You'll be fine when I'm done with you." Breena started to reach for her side.

"No." Elphaba grabbed her sister's wrist when she didn't listen to her. "I said no!"

"But..."

"You're not doing this." Elphaba interrupted her.

"So she decided to come over here and drive you insane for a little while huh?" Addena grinned as she walked into the room. "Don't worry I'll…" Her grin disappeared when she caught sight of the Thropp sisters. "What's going on?"

"She's being stubborn." Breena answered.

"I'm being stubborn?" Was Elphaba's incredulous reply.

"Were you trying to heal her?" Addena looked at her girlfriend in disbelief.

"Of course I was." Breena retorted. "Have you seen her bruises?"

Glinda held up her hands. "Let's all just calm down."

"I can't believe you." Addena continued as if her sister hadn't spoken, marching across the room to pull Breena away from Elphaba. "I told you no magic!"

Breena pulled out of her grasp. "I'm more than strong enough to heal a couple of bruises."

"That's not the point."

"Then what is the point?"

"I don't need healed, Bree." Elphaba finally succeeded in tying the robe shut.

"Yes you…"

"No she doesn't." Addena cut her lover off. "If I thought for one second that Elphaba was in any kind of danger I would more than willingly let you do your thing. But she's not."

Breena clinched her jaw. "She's hurt. I can…"

"You almost died!" Addena yelled over her, shocking her into silence. "I don't think you realize just how lucky you are to be here at all! So excuse me if I want to be absolutely sure you're better before I turn you loose on the world again!" Tears suddenly filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry Addy." Breena pulled her into a hug.

Addena wrapped her arms around the witch. "I can't lose you, Bree. Not so soon after finding you." She cried against her chest.

"Shhh." Breena held her close. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Let's sit her down." Glinda led them the short distance to the couch.

"Can you loosen your grip just a little Addy?" Breena swallowed hard when she didn't get a response. "Never mind. You hold on as tight as you want." She somehow managed to sweep the doctor off her feet, settling her in her lap as she sat down.

Glinda sadly watched as her sister buried her head in the crook of Breena's neck. "Mom warned me this was coming." She lovingly rubbed Addena's back.

"She's been through a lot." Elphaba looked down at the pink robe. "And I look ridiculous. I'm just going to go change." She gestured toward the bathroom with her thumb before scampering in that direction.

"Don't cry, Addy." Breena tightened her grip on her girlfriend. "Please don't cry."

"It won't last long." Glinda assured her. "She's never been one to cry."

"Because it makes me feel like a wuss." Addena's response was muffled against Breena's skin.

"You're not a wuss." Breena tried her hardest but couldn't keep the laughter out of her voice.

"Want to try to say that again without laughing?" Addena sniffled as she pulled back to look at her.

"You're breath tickled." Breena brought one of her hands up to wipe tears from her lover's face. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"You didn't." She leaned into the contact. "It was the whole situation with Eadlyn and almost losing you and Linny getting kidnapped and Elphaba being hurt."

"Life in general huh?"

The corner of Addena's mouth turned up. "You could say that."

"Sorry." Elphaba spoke as she reentered the room, fully clothed this time. "But pink fluffy robes and I don't get along too well." She went to sit on the arm of the couch behind Glinda, shocked to see Addena had started to calm down already.

"She's not as emotional as me." Glinda explained as she leaned back against her.

"I think she is." Breena contradicted her. "She just buries it under that tough exterior most of the time." She stared adoringly into Addena's blue eyes. "But it's bound to come out eventually."

"Which is fine by me as long as you're around to catch me when I fall." Addena cuddled closer again.

"That's so sweet." Glinda blinked back tears of her own, prompting Elphaba to put her arms around her as she placed a gentle kiss on top of her head.

"Am I interrupting something?" Ginny asked from her spot in the open doorway.

"Momsie." Glinda greeted her.

"No, you're not." Addena answered her question. "I was just having another of those breakdowns you so aptly predicted."

"I can see you're in good hands." Ginny grinned at Breena. "Both of you." She shifted her gaze to Elphaba who instantly turned a darker shade of green. "One of these days you won't blush every time I talk to you, right?"

"Right." Breena responded for her sister. "Just give her some time."

"So what brings you up here?" Glinda jumped back in, saving Elphie from further scrutiny. "I thought you were going to curl up in the library and unwind with a good book."

"I was, but I had a better idea."

"I know that tone." Addena shifted so she could see her. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing much." Ginny shrugged. "Just arranging a surprise for you girls. But I'll understand if you don't feel up to it right now."

"A surprise?" Glinda's face lit up as she tilted her head back to look at Elphie. "Her surprises are the best."

"They are pretty phenomenal." Addena started to get up. "We should check it out."

"Are you sure?" Breena held her in place. "I mean, just a second ago you were crying your eyes out."

"Linny told you that never lasts very long."

"She's right." Ginny agreed. "She's always been more of the strong silent type who keeps everything to herself."

Addena nodded. "That's why we're two peas in a pod."

"Hey." Breena frowned.

"It's all part of why I love you." Addena grinned as she gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Well when you put it that way." Breena pulled her into a much steamier lip lock.

"Cut that out." Glinda playfully scolded them. "There will be plenty of time for that later."

"Sorry." Breena was all smiles as they parted. "I couldn't resist."

Addena blushed as she glanced at her mother, trying to gauge her reaction to what she'd just seen.

"You're almost as red as Elly is green." Breena teased.

"Shut up." Addena pinched her arm.

"Dena." Ginny chastised her.

"It's all right." Breena was still smiling as she let her girlfriend get up. "It lets me know she's feeling better."

"Then let's go see the surprise." Glinda stood before offering her lover her hand.

Elphaba murmured a, "Thanks," as she got up.

"It's just my mom, Elphie." Glinda linked their arms. "She doesn't bite."

Breena added, "And she didn't see you in that pink robe either."

"I bet you looked beautiful." Ginny tried to soothe the green girl's nerves. "Pink is very flattering with green."

Glinda squeezed Elphie's arm. "See. She thinks so too."

"Come on lazy bones." Addena pulled Bree into a standing position. "We'll go grab your crutches and..." She stopped when she felt her girlfriend tensing up. "All right, how about if we compromise? I won't mention the crutches again if you agree not to do magic until I give you the all clear. Unless it's an emergency." She clarified as Bree opened her mouth to protest.

"Deal." Breena put her arm around the doctor's shoulders, pulling her close. "I think we're ready now."

Ginny smiled. "Then follow me."

"What do you think it is?" Glinda asked her sister.

Addena raised her eyebrows. "It's hard to tell with Mom."

"She keeps you on your toes doesn't she?" Breena chuckled.

"You have no idea." Addena agreed.

Ginny looked over her shoulder at them. "I can hear you."

Elphaba grinned as the older woman winked at her.

They made their way downstairs and toward the french doors leading to the patio.

"Our surprise is outside?" Addena asked.

"You'll see." Ginny stopped with her hand on the door knob. "Are you ready?"

Glinda squirmed. "Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Mom!" The younger blonde gestured impatiently with her free hand.

"She only does that because you get so excited." Addena told her.

"It's cute." Ginny smiled before Glinda could start to pout. "Now go see your surprise." She opened the door.

All four girls stepped outside to find a candle lit pathway leading to the gazebo that had been constructed in the backyard, which was now illuminated with several strings of small white lights.

"This is gorgeous." Glinda gushed as she dragged Elphie toward the gazebo with her. "Look, there's a table and dinner and is that music?" She turned toward her mother as she, Addena and Breena joined them. "It's perfect Momsie!"

"Mrs Upland this is..."

"Ginny, Elphaba. Mrs. Upland was my mother-in-law."

"Sorry... Ginny." Elphaba gave her a gentle smile. "This is breathtaking."

"Thank you." Ginny returned her smile.

"What made you think of doing something like this?" Addena stuck close to Breena's side as she drank in their surroundings.

"Well, your father had this gazebo built because it's all the rage this year. Not because it's romantic or would make a wonderful addition to the garden but because it would impress the people he invited to the wedding." She ran her hand over the rail. "He had already hired a team of men to tear it down once the ceremony was over. But I think it's pretty. So I've decided to keep it."

"Good for you, Ginny." Breena encouraged her.

Ginny's smile stayed in place. "I also wanted to do something nice for you girls. You've been through so much lately that it seemed appropriate to give you a chance to slow down and enjoy being together. And what better place to do that than here?" She gestured at the table. "So eat. Dance. Spend some much needed time alone together."

"Thanks Mom." Glinda let go of Elphaba to hug her mother.

"It's just what the doctor ordered." Addena teased as she joined the embrace.

Ginny held them close for a moment before pulling back to look at them. "My little girls." She gripped their hands.

"You could stay you know." Breena nodded toward the table. "There's more than enough food. And after we eat we could pop open a bottle of bubbly and really get the party started."

Ginny chuckled as she wiped at a tear meandering down her cheek. "I appreciate the offer but I arranged this for the four of you. I think I'll head to the library and unwind with that good book now."

"Are you sure?" Elphaba tried to persuade her. "We really wouldn't mind."

"I'm positive." Ginny walked over to the two witches. "Be good to my girls. They deserve the kind of happiness you two will bring them."

Elphaba caught Glinda's eye. "They make us pretty happy too."

"I know. That's what makes your relationships so beautiful." Ginny pulled them into a quick hug. "Stay as long as you want. And don't worry about cleaning up. Bernice said she would take care of it in the morning."

"You thought of everything." Glinda commented.

"That's what mother's do. Now if you'll excuse me."

"Ginny?"

She stopped when Breena called out to her. "Yes?"

"Thanks." Breena flashed her a brilliant smile. "For everything."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you, my dear."

With that Ginny walked away, taking a moment to stop and watch the girls once she reached the house. Elphaba and Glinda were sitting on one of the benches along the side of the gazebo, Glinda stroking a green cheek for a moment before leaning in to give Elphaba a gentle but lingering kiss. And Breena and Addena were holding each other so close it was hard to tell where one of them started and the other one ended, swaying in time to the music as they stared into each others eyes. Love and devotion. That was the only way to describe what you could almost physically feel radiating from the gazebo.

She was smiling as she went inside and shut the door.

THE END

_AN: This seemed like a good place to end this one. My muse wants to turn this into a series if any of you are interested. Just let me know and I'll see what I can do about making her get to work on the next story. Thanks to all of you for reading this. And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to the ones who take the time to review. I know I've said it before, but your kind words are food for the creative spirit._

_Until next time..._


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